The Corpse Groom
by Mars and Kitkat
Summary: Based on The Corpse Bride. Alfred is forced into an arranged marriage with a stranger named Lili. Though hesitant at first, his opinions change when he meets her. Despite falling in love with the girl of his dreams, Alfred still ends up in a tragedy, in which he learns practicing your vows in the woods may end up in your marriage to a dead groom named Arthur. Main is UsUk; AmeLiech
1. Chapter 1

**Title: The Corpse Bride  
Rating: M  
Warnings: Language, death, both het and slash couples, lots of character death**

**There is also very heavy tones of America/Liechtenstein. That isn't the main couple- America/England is-, but it will be a very prominent couple throughout most of this.**

**Also, there is French used throughout this story that is used referring to Arthur, and it's commonly feminine. The joke of it is the fact they refer to him as a bride, and it's a way of teasing him. **

* * *

Summary:

_Alfred would have liked to have taken part in his parents decisions just once. Having them tell him over and over what to do got irritating after a while. Not only that, but now he's being forced to marry a woman he hadn't ever met in his life. That was the last straw. _  
_However, Lili is different from other girls, in a way Alfred really likes. Maybe this marriage isn't too bad. _

_Until the night came for marriage vows, and Alfred failed to deliver them correctly. He's chased out of the church, and left to be humiliated by the family. One late night, he results to practicing his vows in an abandoned forest in hopes of getting it right. _

_Who would have known he'd accidentally be proposing to a dead man named Arthur, who seems really highly intent on marrying him! _

_This story is based off of Tim Burton's 2005 film, 'The Corpse Bride.' _

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**Hello, readers, once again! Thank you for reading this story! I've been meaning to write this forever, but I wanted to finish my Spamano Omegle story and Bloody Frog before I did. Those ones seem not to be very liked, however, so instead I'll be working on this for the next few months! **

**I've planned out 14 chapters, and it's likely there won't be an epilogue. So, I'll see you for the next 13? If you have any suggestions, corrections, or even complaints, feel free to leave a review or PM me!**

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"Yes'm..." Alfred's words were barely more than a jumbled mess as they left his lips. It was quite surprising he was responding at all, considering he had left the world of grave consciousness to delve into the darkness of his dreams. He hadn't gotten a great amount of sleep last night - mostly from the nerves of what was coming today - so it was natural for him to take advantage of his situation.

The carriage he sat in rocked with every bump and pebble, creating a lulling effect. The seats had been renovated with a very soft plush created from newly fallen leaves and scraps of fabric, and this only proved to allow Alfred a rather comforting setting. Along with the constant chattering of his mother creating a white noise that blocked out the sounds of screaming children and dreary adults, it was overwhelming.

"Do you hear me, Alfred?" Marion demanded with her typical snappy tone. The other was heavily lethargic at this point, and mumbled something along the lines of "I'll do it later" and "Yes, I agree". This was the last straw for the very stressed woman. She raised her hand above the teen's blond haired-head, and snapped it down, cutting through the air until it made contact with the boy.

"What the hell?" Alfred blurted out with a sudden jump, eyes shooting straight open as he glanced around the cavern he sat in. "What's happening?"

Marion could only offer up a heavy sigh, directing her glare towards the ever passive Richard, Alfred's father, who in turn laughed it off, not knowing the right words to say as an alleviation.

The woman rolled her eyes at the lack of support, and cleared her throat, grabbing Alfred's attention.

"Keep your shoulders back and your chin up." Marion instructed, continuing exactly where she left off.

_Oh great._ Alfred turned his view out the gaping hole in the side of the carriage, the window to be precise. He really couldn't care less about the events to happen later in the day when they reached their destination. Yeah, it was quite a life-changing decision, but the fact he wasn't involved _in_ it, pissed him off and actually hurt him to no ends.

Besides, he'd like to at least meet this young lady before he was to be married off to her, forced to father her children, and support a family he didn't even know if he wanted.

Alfred felt another heavy bump as they passed over one of the many deformities in the cobblestone road the group traveled on. It had been a deal of about 10 minutes already, meaning they'd soon reach their destined location. Marion noted this as well, and wasted no time in forcing Alfred to tidy up from his usual appearance.

Despite being the rich kid, Alfred didn't enjoy wearing suits and ties, and pretending he was something fancy when he really wasn't. The one he wore now felt alienated on his own skin. Kinda annoying, but he'd pass. It was only for this one marriage ceremony rehearsal, hopefully. Then he'd marry this so called "Lili" and move on with his life permanently. Who knows, maybe the gods would have mercy on him and allow this to blow over?

"We're here, Master Jones!" Came a very hoarse voice from outside the vehicle, and just as predicted, the large, black carriage lurched to a heavy halt. Before there was time to react, the Jones family unloaded themselves one-by-one onto the empty street, Alfred stepping down last.

"Thanks!" Alfred called as soon as he'd hit the regular surroundings. He dug out a shilling from within his coat, tossing it to the chauffeur that was perched on his personal cart. Gilbert's hand shot out and he caught it gratefully, sending a wink to the blue-eyed man below.

"Hey, don't mess this up!" Gilbert chortled with his raspy way. He stopped halfway through a chuckle to let out a long string of coughs, worrying Alfred greatly. He'd been like this for weeks.

"I'll try not to. Sleep well, 'kay?" Alfred reminded with a gentle smile, and bid him a subtle wave. Gilbert cracked the reigns down to the old horses pacing from foot-to-foot to get them moving, and parted with a wink.

Alfred could only watch him go so far, as he was quickly whisked towards the front door of the extravagant house they now stood in front of. A quick survey of the area showed a brief run-down of how the family seemed.

Altogether, it was creepy.

Like a normal family, leading up to the house was a walkway, lined with fences and various gardens littering the grassy area of the home. But the flowers were dead, the grass was brown, the fence was black with small figures of gargoyles on each poking pole, and the walkway was made with shards of rock that formed shapes that looked peculiarly like wolves. Not only that, but the theme of the mansion seemed to be bats and vampires and every other creature of the night. It was like walking straight into a horror movie.

The teen lacked time to dwell on it, as seconds later, he was pushed ahead to meet the entrance of the home. His mother knocked heavily on the door five times, and the force of her fist sounded like a scream that echoed inside the house for ages. No sounds were made, which caused Alfred to hold his breath as he waited for the door to be answered.

Hope struck him that, possibly, no one would come to greet them. Maybe the house was abandoned. Hopefully this was the wrong home... or something. Maybe they were all werewolves and only came out at night, which would definitely prevent Alfred from being involved with the family! Maybe... maybe they were all-

His fantasy was interrupted quickly. There was the faint sound of clicking locks and banging hands stopping any thoughts in their tracks, and the door was able to move. It took its sweet time opening, and when it had, it revealed a young man.

Alfred was surprised to see such a young servant. The boy had to be no older than him, with blonde hair that floated down around mid-neck. He stood erect, though much shorter than Alfred, with skinny limbs and a hollowed out face that most likely signaled he followed a poor-lifestyle of hunger. It almost made Alfred stop and feel sorry for him, but was ceased from any further inquiries when two short and bitter looking figures popped out of nowhere like a pack of wild animals.

Alfred jumped back, the shock of it all absorbing him. The silence within those moments hit him, and he noticed the awkward vibes he was giving off from the mere sight of the entire place.

He straightened himself up - which his mother cleared her throat happily at from behind - dusting off his suit and doing his best not to look intimidated by the creepy man and woman staring expectantly, silently at him.

"My name is Alfred," he said with a soft voice, barely audible to his company. He noticed the disappointment on their faces at the lack of his power. It kinda angered him; he wouldn't let himself be bested by some vampires or whatever the bullocks they were. "I'm here to...marry your daughter?"

Though his tone was meant to be official, the lines were obviously dorky sounding. Even the servant-boy showed it when he suppressed a mocking laugh at the attempt of Alfred. Marion groaned heavily.

"Katarine, Berwick," the chubby lady greeted, pushing past her soon to shake the reserved couple's hands. The disgusted look on their faces proved they were looking quite down on the family already. They almost didn't even take her offering. "Nice to meet you. This is Alfred. We've arrived early, it seems."

"...Yes," Berwick said in a voice that sounded like forks screeching across glass. "Yes, indeed, you have. Please, don't make it a habit. The rat is off getting changed. I suppose you want to come inside."

"Please, that would be great," Marion said, her voice quieting down a great deal at the impression she'd just received. "In we go." Her fingers caught on the fabric of Alfred's jacket, whom was still gawking at the oddly-shaped, satanic duo that hardly even left each other's sides. "Shoo, shoo."

Alfred was pushed in through the doors, which slammed shut seconds after his entry. He blinked, glancing back to the tall doors in shock at how they could be so quick with their size.

Though that was a question for another day.

"We should discuss marriage plans in... decent company," Berwick informed the group after they'd recovered from seeing the great home's scenery. Marion and Richard glanced back towards him, a confirming nod on their heads.

"Alfred, stay here." Marion instructed when she had caught her son's gaze, and offered a comforting smile. "We'll be back soon. And for the life of Christ, please don't touch anything."

"'Promise." The boy confirmed with a nod, giving a dry smile to show he meant it.

The parents began chattering softly the second they had the chance, leading themselves off into another huge room in the mansion. As soon as the door had slammed shut, Alfred was thrown into a silence that unnerved him. Being alone in dark, huge, seemingly-haunted places was _not_ his strong point.

Alfred licked his lips once, attempting to get used to the feeling of being trapped in a black hole. He so desperately wanted to go off exploring, just to take his mind off of his problems, but he had no such luck with the others right next door.

"So, you're Alfred?" Came a critical voice from behind him. He spun, and in the shadows stood the one who had answered the door. He seemed to be sizing him up, the same as how everyone else he met did. "Unimpressive."

"Hey, kid," Alfred felt a frown appearing. He got pretty defensive when he got attacked by mere strangers. "Do you think I'm trying to impress you? I was forced into this. I would rather be a million other places."

"Vash." The blonde corrected. Vash's eyebrows set in a calculating way, mixed with a dash of surprise the other wasn't a simple suitor. "Should I take that offensively? My sister is too good for you. You'd be lucky to marry her. But I'm glad you're not just an ass-wipe looking to take her heart and break it." His eyes turned dark in an instant, and his finger clutched a shape that poked out of his side-pocket that looked oddly dangerous. "Just remember. If you break her heart, I'll break _you_."

Alfred took this as the signal to nod. While he wasn't super intimidated by the boy, he didn't want to get in a tangle with someone that was possibly a nut-job. However, it wasn't until after he had disappeared up the stairs that Alfred noticed the fact he'd said "Sister." Hmm.

There was a very muffled laughing from next-door. It sounded nervous. Were Alfred's parents okay? Were they really all vampires?

And what was with this house? It was so... secluded!

Plus it was dark and brooding, totally not his favorite scenario.

And the entire place smelled like blood and death...

Alfred had been left alone for a long time. It was getting to him. He decided to simply explore the area around him before he went insane. He turned his blue eyes to the furniture in the room, spotting a few things that sparked his interest, but nothing too immensely. Just a nice couch here, a vase there, a rug made of bear in the back.

And... a piano! Perfect! Alfred's own musical instrument had gone out of tune just a few weeks ago, and he hadn't been able to properly play for a great deal of time. He glanced around him, making sure there weren't any blonde vampires with a knife lurking in the dark, and he slowly slunk away.

The piano was gorgeous. Its keys were a bright ivory, surrounded by a deep cherry wood that sparkled like new. There was a heavy amount of dust on it. It probably meant the whole thing was a fluke and it wouldn't work properly. But, humans can dream.

Alfred brushed off a layer from the rickety seat placed directly under the instrument, and settled down as lightly as he could. He knew he'd break it if he was hasty in his actions.

His fingers tested each of the keys, the notes being played hardly heard. Perhaps, if he was quiet, he could get away with using the piano without permission. He'd get a heavy scolding if he was caught. Maybe even take a bite to the next.

His resolve didn't last long. Once he'd figured out the piano was beautifully in tune, he cracked down on it. His fingers glided across the keys in an instant, and he began to scratch out one of his songs he'd been working on for years. Melodies and harmonies escalated together, starting from a slow beat that resembled an ocean breeze, and ranging to a great deal of half notes, played frantically and loudly.

It painted the picture of a sailor. He was an old man, who'd lived a beautiful life, with two children, five grandchildren, and a lovely wife he'd adored until her death. Their dream was to sail all of the seas together. However, he had to take on the trek alone. The first day was set in a lonely cove as he departed, the seas easy and flowing with ocean life that danced in his eyes in a mass of colors. However, the longer he traveled, the more pitchy the waves got. It grew into a haunting melody of clouds, lightning, and tidal waves, throwing his measly fishing boat in the water. However, he continued trekking.

The music descended, slowing its tempo and adding more soprano notes to take on the main tune of the song; it created a whimsical feel. However, as the balance of pitches began to even out, a calming song fell from the sound of the piano.

The old man lay on the deck of his boat, staring at the sky. A large gap was in his side. He had been impaled on a falling pole.

His wife lay on his right, and they held hands until the end of the song, in which he'd passed on to another world.

Alfred's heart had calmed by the end of the song. Emotions overwhelmed him when he played his music. There were too many feelings within the secrets of this instrument. It always left him feeling the emotions of the characters.

"That was lovely."

Alfred caught his breath, jumping at the sound of a female voice behind him. The rickety bench creaked as he regathered himself, squealing with delight when he'd picked himself up and gave it breathing room.

Alfred, with wide eyes, turned in a hurry, preparing himself as the gentleman he should be. He smiled large, a nervous expression on his face as he focused his panicked vision on the figure in front of him.

There stood a girl. Actually, Alfred couldn't quite tell if it was a girl...

...Or an angel.

The girl looked like Vash in the hairstyle she had chosen, though her blonde locks flowed beautifully down to her shoulders. They had been freshly brushed, a ribbon hovering down the strands and giving it an elegant quality.

She wore a simple pink dress that went past her feet, and covered her entire body. She was small, though with a delicate frame. She seemed as if she was floating.

Alfred felt like his mind had completely left him.

"H-Hallo," the girl whispered, her eyes shining like the sea. Her voice was gentle and sweet, and twisted Alfred's stomach in the way he thought no woman could. "I'm sorry for interrupting. I just heard you playing... I thought it was... beautiful."

Alfred couldn't close his mouth as he gawked. He felt frozen. Unable to move. His heart was fluttering. Was this that feeling discussed so often in fairy tales?

"Are you alright?" The girl asked once more, and offered a kind smile. "I'm Lili... in case you hadn't figured it out. Are you.. Alfred?"

Alfred blinked, snapping his mouth closed after hearing his name. It took him seconds of comprehending what had been said before he was able to dumbly nod, a goofy grin now forming. "Y-Yeah!" He said with a new enthusiasm, reaching out a hand to Lili. While it tended to be against the laws of manners, he couldn't quite think through them right now. "Alfred F. Jones, I, uh... it's...nice to meet you!"

Lili accepted the hand, much to Alfred's surprise. Her skin was soft, and her grip, light. She seemed much like a feathery dove. "Same to you. Would you mind, possibly... playing the song once more? It was absolutely lovely. I've always wanted to learn to play, however, mother forbid me. She said it wasn't lady-like. I just wish I had been taught." She happened to notice a glint of light, which turned Alfred's attention to it.

He watched as she bent, picking up the fallen glass that had smashed on the floor when Alfred stood. He felt a pang of guilt, but she hardly seemed put off about it. When Lili stood, she had retrieved a stalk of purple flowers, which she played with the buds of in between her fingers.

"Lavender..." She said quietly, excited by her find. "It smells wonderful. I also heard it can symbolize... a happy marriage."

Alfred felt his face growing hot from the simple attention of such a stunning girl. He hardly realized what was happening until she was just inches from him. Her fingers pricked at the pocket on his blazer, as she settled the flower inside. He glanced down at it, his heart twisting and turning in a million ways.

The next few seconds sent chills down Alfred's spine. His fingers lightly brushed over Lili's, to which she looked up with her cheeks dusted pink. Their eyes met gazes, and neither could dare pull away.

"I'm happy this was arranged." Alfred beamed, his hand closing around hers. "This wasn't a bad idea-"

"What are you doing-?!" The pair jumped, separating in an instant. In the doorway stood Katarine, taut and peeved at the sight of them both. "Priest Heracles has just arrived. You're not even dressed properly, you insolent child! Hurry now!"

Alfred was removed from the scene by a grasping hand, as he came face-to-face with his mother. "Hurry now." She said quietly and dragged him off to the next room.

The blonde threw a glance over his shoulder, feeling his breath catch when he found Lili looking back at him. She bid him a farewell wave, her fingers wiggling, before she was dragged off to finish her preparations.

"This isn't so bad." Alfred laughed to himself, eyes closing as he imagined the heat radiating off their bodies when they'd been so close. "Amazing girl, isn't she?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Rating: T **  
**Warnings: Language, newly found slash, death ****mentioning**

**It doesn't explain it all the way, but, since she's not in this story a ton, I thought I'd let you know the young girl later on is Samantha/Wy! I apologize for her character writing. Heracles, Vladmir, Lili, and Samantha are characters I've literally never written until this story. If anyone can offer me characterization tips, I'd adore it!**

**Sorry also if Alfred is OOC. I'm trying to show his terror in the beginning to build character for the rest of this. He'll man up later!**

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"With... with this ring... I'll light your... wine?"

"No, no, no! Once more, fool! And don't mess this one up!"

"With this hand... I will... place this ring in your wine...!"

Alfred felt the familiar stinging sensation on the back of his head once more. He felt the glares of many staring straight into his back, burrowing their anger within the pores of his skin. It made him feel like shit, but he knew he couldn't give up now. He was so close to getting his vows correct, he felt it. He knew he could totally do it! Just give him a few seconds here and there...

"With this hand... I will... lift your candle and light your darkness?" He guessed, his voice rising in the end to show his lack of confidence in the answer.

"A dunce," Katarine growled from behind, the same as she had been insulting Alfred the entire afternoon. They'd been at this for hours now, and everyone was exhausted and ready to run. "An imbecile. We'll never complete this marriage."

The only person that had yet to lose hope in Alfred seemed to be Lili. She'd been staring at him with that wide-eyed smile that hadn't wavered in the slightest. She offered touches of support several times throughout, but it seemed Alfred just couldn't quite remember the order of the words. It was worse having the others wait on him.

"Don't lose hope," Priest Heracles mumbled from the front-side of Alfred, blinking back his exhaustion that plagued his expression. It caused his face to look rather droopy. "Alfred, once more."

"Yeah, okay..." The teen muttered in agreement. He hardly even bothered to straighten himself out this time. It wasn't worth the effort to even try and impress the others right now. _Just get through it, Jones..._

"With... with this candle... I shall... light your way in the darkness!" Alfred proclaimed, finally realizing just how accurate his words had been. Even if they were in the wrong order, he could only smirk with pride at the fact he'd finished a line. His hand shot out carelessly, seizing his candle off the table where he'd forgotten it.

The main candle burned with an orange flame that flicked the air with each of its motions. Alfred was a bit afraid to light his candle, as it hadn't turned out well in the past, but this time was different. He crouched, dragging out the small bud he held, and submerged the wick in the flame. Nothing happened. The white stick simply floating and melted in the heat, all the while frustrating poor Alfred. Berwick coughed impatiently somewhere in the back. He needed to hurry.

"Just a second... there's some... difficulties," Alfred mumbled with heavy breath, focused on simply lighting the wax.

"Let me," Lili's whispers lept into his ear, and he was taken off guard, stepping back in the slightest to let the girl through. She lit her candle in an instant, touching their tips together until a light sparked on Alfred's wick. He took it gratefully, passing her a happy grin that satisfied them both.

"Hurry up, now!" Marion bit her tongue as she prompted them to move on. Everyone just wanted to go home.

"Right, uh, with this candle, I... I said that already...With this hand- Ow! Fuck!" Alfred had no time to mind his manners of cursing in front of his elders. A drop of wax had melted, falling onto the bare skin of his finger, and, hell, it really hurt. Without thinking, his free hand shot up to cuddle the finger to himself, as he kissed the spot tenderly to relieve the pain.

A woman's screeching erupted right beside him. He froze, realizing his hands were now empty. And, yes, his greatest fears were confirmed.

Katarine bounced in her seat, panicking over the fire that had begun spreading up her dress. She made no move to put it out, simply flailing her arms in a chicken-like manor and squawking with a dry voice. Bystanders watched, completely taken by surprise, most were unable to move.

Alfred acted first. He spun, trying to locate something, anything that could be used as a quencher. A sly hand passed him a familiar silver cup he was unable to study.

The blonde came in contact with Vash for less than a second before he'd ripped the chalice from his hands, and turned back to face the problem. The first was closer to her leg than he'd expected.

"I'll fix this!" Alfred shouted in an attempt to calm the woman down. He tilted the cup over the source of the fire, and out splashed the contents inside.

There was dead silence. Alfred opened his eyes he didn't even realize he'd closed to find a soaking, very angry mother-in-law staring back at him. Her make-up was beginning to run down her face and dripped onto her light-brown dress.

Which was coated from head-to-toe in red wine splotches.

"I'm sorry!" Alfred apologized quickly, realizing the dire consequences of the situation. The witnesses slowly began standing, getting a better view of what was happening up front. "I'll do better next time, I-"

"There is no next time!" Berwick suddenly snapped. His tough - though tiny - hand prodded angrily at Alfred's side. "You're done! Out of here! You're not marrying my daughter, and you'll be a failure forever more!"

"But... it was an accident. I'll do better...!"

"Out!"

Alfred found himself being forced from the room by several bodies of whom he couldn't identify. The only thing now in his vision was the young maiden he'd been designated to wed, whom now stood alone at the altar, reaching out desperately towards her ex-husband-to-be.

It only dawned on him as he was being pulled away: he had just lost his fiance.

* * *

_"Alfred Jones embarrasses his family name! Sets an old woman's hair on fire! Jones afraid to show their face in public!" _

That was the only voice and words Alfred knew the town would be focused on for the next few hours. How badly he'd messed up. How lame he was. It wasn't his fault... much.

Actually, it was entirely his fault.

"It really shouldn't be this difficult..." He muttered heavily, kicking away a rock that stood in his pathway. Alfred's hands were buried deep in his pockets, and he fiddled with the strings that were falling out of the seams. To say he was quite angry and saddened, was an understatement. Right now, he just needed to be alone. "It's just... a few simple vows. Just some words! Why can't they just make them easier... Can't I just say 'I love you; let's get married? God, that'd work so much better."

He heaved out a very hefty sigh, groaning in frustration at the entire night. It'd started out wonderful, and Alfred had met the perfect girl! Even better, she was his bride. And he'd lost her just as quickly in the span of a few hours. What a mood-killer.

The blonde stopped in his walking, taking the moment of the moon-light shining through a canopy of trees to watch his own body. The forest could be a pretty terrifying place at night, but tonight, he didn't give a shit. "With this hand... I'll..." He searched through his mind for seconds, attempting to come up with the answer. "I will... take your wine. Ha. No."

Alfred simply blew it off, continuing on down the path as he recited his vows to himself, making mistakes very numerously. With each sentence he got wrong, the worse he felt about the entire thing. Maybe he was destined to ruin everything.

"With this hand, I will cup your...-" Alfred pulled his hands up to form two half-circles in which he held close to his chest. It took him a minute before he realized the problem with the picture. "Oh, god, no."

And he kept walking.

"With... this... with this... with this candle...! I will... uh... " His face tightened into a sigh as soon as he realized he had no clue what he was going to do or say. He didn't know his lines. "I'll light your mother on fire." Alfred's hand connected with his face seconds later, and he let his weight drag him a few steps backwards. He was too exasperated to even try.

"Oh, it's no use. I'm sorry for failing, Lili..." He breathed heavily. Suddenly, his pocket felt about three times as heavy, and he remembered the artifact he held that was a reminder of his time spent with the girl earlier. Alfred drew out the lavender, surprised to see it still in good shape after the lack of water it had suffered.

In an act of pure curiosity, he lifted the stalk until it reached his face, and took in the scent. It was sweet and strong, giving off a very delicate sense about its build. It reminded him of the house he'd been confined to all day. It reminded him of the meeting.

Alfred felt empowered thinking of the lovely girl. Her beauty that had captivated him from the start. He could only think of the wonder she would bring him later on in life. It all seemed worth it. If only he could live up to the expectations.

"With this hand, I will lift your sorrows." The thought of the angel drove him on, his previous energy returning. He felt strangely released. The words suddenly felt very natural on his lips. Alfred's posture straightened out, and he felt himself feeling glee, knowing this was it, his time to prove himself capable. He was going to get it right.

He replaced the flower, instead drawing out the ring he'd been holding specifically for the wedding. It felt weightless in his fingers, yet the heavy burden of a marriage made it feel as if it had much more meaning than a measly piece of metal. "Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine."

Feeling a bit suave, the blue-eyed man flicked the ring into the air, catching it with the opposite hand as he presented it out in front of him. It glinted in the ivory light.

A nearby branch happened to catch Alfred's fancy, and he decided to continue on with his role playing. His fingers caught on the stems of it, as he spoke in the most charming accent he could muster, "Ah, Mrs. Zwingli!" He grinned. "You look just great tonight."

A stump was decided on as his next target. Alfred shifted his attention to it, tilting his head to add in the effect he was going for. "What's that, Mr. Zwingli? Call you dad? Well, sure!" He laughed at the pretend offer, giving the stump a friendly pat on its top.

His feet carried him off to a more clear part of the forest, where he could roam free and not worry about kicking stones or hitting the bushes that surrounded him. He only had two more lines to say, and Lili would be his.

"With this candle," he chanted, breaking off a thick part of a tree from up above. "I will light your way in darkness."

"And... with this ring..." Alfred continued, and he felt his breath quicken in anticipation. It was as if this was all really happening, and he carried the pressure to make it perfect. A piece of shrubbery poked at his leg when he stepped, and the American drew back in time to see which he could use for a faux hand. Just for now. To compensate for the lack of a real one.

He fell to his knees, gracefully brushing the pretend fingers of the branches. "I ask you..." The ring seemed to turn just that much colder, making him more anxious to get his vows done with. "To be mine."

The ring slipped easily on the curves of the wood, which was surprising. It seemed to Alfred it'd get snagged. But even so, he felt the heavy weight lift from his shoulders. He was ready for tomorrow. He could go back and get married, and be happy forever more.

Or so he thought.

Alfred should have been paying more attention. He should have noticed the gradual pick-up in the wind speed, or the crows beginning to gather overhead. He should have paid attention to the fact the branch didn't just wait for him to retrieve the ring.

Instead, he glanced up to the sky, completely unaware of a huge change taking place in the world.

"What was that...?" He mumbled to himself, feeling chills run down his spine from the creepiness of it all. "That was random-"

He was cut off. Alfred suddenly noticed a tight pressure around his wrist, which then began dragging him down. Down into the earth. _Something from inside the ground was fucking grabbing him and pulling downward. _

The teen freaked out. His panic mode flipped on. He began to struggle and pull, desperately wanting to grab his limb back. It disappeared in the Earth, and he felt something that felt scarily similar to a human hand gripping tighter than any human should be able to.

The black birds overhead began their haunting calls, flying in all directions in a way they began to black out any existing light. Alfred pulled harder than he could in any other situation, ignoring his surroundings. He just needed to get the hell away!

Something underneath him gave away with a crack, and he went flying back, propelled by his own ripping of his body. When he sat up, cleared from his daze, he noticed the thing that had gripped him had refused to let go.

Wrapped around his wrist were 5 fingers. And on one of them was his ring.

Alfred suppressed a surprised scream. Even if he thought of himself as macho, even if he could face any grown man coming at him for a fight, horror and macabre type things were his weakness.

He shook the hand off, not waiting to see where it flew. Instead he scrambled to his feet, doing everything in his power to take off running in the other direction. He re-navigated where he'd come from, attempting to find the exit of this winding, seemingly much more clouded forest. The ground rumbled at the spot Alfred had just appeared from. He paused only a moment, glancing back to see exactly what was giving him a chase.

In the gaping hole in the ground, first came another hand, which clawed the monster out of its pit. It began rising at a rapid pace, revealing... was that... a man? A man in a white suit, with deep blue, suffocated looking skin. He seemed to have no face, as it was hidden behind a wispy piece of fabric that hovered over his head.

Several parts of the creature were bony, with skin missing and showing his skeleton.

It was like being in the middle of an undead circus.

He felt frozen with fear. He couldn't move. _What was this? _

The man's hand gripped at the bottom of the white material, and he threw it back to reveal he indeed did have the features of eyes, a nose, a mouth, all of the works. But all looked shadowy and dead. Nothing like a normal human.

The creature took in a deep breath, a dry smile invading his cracking lips. And out came a voice that sounded like a dove's song and a raspy crow, all at the same time.

_"I do."_

It took him that instant to change directions. Alfred took off running once more, feeling the extra power form in his legs to continue pushing him through the mass of trees from the scary spectacle he'd witnessed. He couldn't stop now! He couldn't die here! Not when he'd just found his reason to go back.

The teenager's heart-pounding fear was sure to help the thing pick up on his trail, but, he never stopped to think about it. He just needed to lose it.

Alfred had just begun climbing a small hill when he lost his footing, and instead went tumbling down into the grass and the mud around him. He cried out in surprise, shocked he would lose his balance at a time like this. He began picking himself up, glancing back just in time to see it coming over the hill after him. This caused him to be much faster, and he took off in a sprint.

Alfred felt like he was in a dark comedy. Just as soon as he'd climbed over the rocks and tree branches that surrounded him as he made his escape, he collided with a tree when he wasn't looking. His vision was thrown into a blur, and his mind, a jumble.

The man was still coming, floating on the darkness itself. Alfred blew off the fact there were two of them, and decided it would be best to simply keep running, lest he wanted a fate of death.

A pool of ice was his next obstacle. Alfred didn't even notice it until he had stepped on the watery substance. It caused him to slip, though he caught himself just in time. He stared fearfully at the slippery surface, and he knew right then this would be the end of his life.

His feet kicked behind him, sort of like ice skating, and he used that as a momentum to get himself across. Just in time. The man skid over it as if it didn't even exist.

The bridge that led to the town was in sights. Alfred could almost cry and grin at the same time from the relief, but he wasn't there yet. Branches from overhead trees snagged at his suit, each grabbing into slips of fabric. He didn't care. He tore through them as quickly as he could, undoubtedly tearing his outfit by now.

And there it was. The icy bridge that seemed much more welcoming than it did in the past. Alfred slowed his steps, not wanting to completely face plant when he did cross the bridge. He took a few test steps on the stone, inching across its surface until he had reached a point and realized... the sounds were gone.

Alfred gripped onto the handholds, turning fearfully to look behind him. There was nothing. No one. He was completely alone in this town.

The vague thought of it being a hallucination passed over his thoughts. But he wouldn't let his guard down. He needed to find shelter first.

The American slowly began backing in the direction of the town, keeping sharp eyes on the forest. No one seemed to be coming. Maybe he had lost the thing for now.

Alfred spoke too soon.

The second he turned around, his vision was clouded over with the view of the man who had been following him. Alfred jumped in fright, pressing backwards to avoid the grip of it. His back stung when it finally hit the hand holds. This was it. He was going to die. He bid a silent prayer, eyes widening at the leaning in creature of the night.

Heavy hands pressed on his shoulders, surprising Alfred to no explainable degree. And what happened next was the most shocking thing of it all.

The creature began to lean in. From this close, he felt the coldness of its skin. And its voice rose from the depths of crowing that engulfed them in seconds. "_You may now... kiss the groom." _

The second their lips connected was the second Alfred couldn't feel anything any longer.

* * *

Nightmares were the worst. They left you lethargic and grumpy, and often just washed in your own terror the second you felt startled enough to awake. They were like a mind plague.

Alfred hated having his nightmares about the undead. It freaked him the hell out. There was a reason corpses didn't walk, and they needed to stay that way.

But this was a new morning, and Alfred was glad to hear low chattering around him. His family probably had visitors over. The teen rolled onto his side, the light shining in his eyes slowly coaxing him to consciousness despite his wishes. He just wanted to sleep forever...

Though the better side of his judgment got to him when he realized he wasn't in a bed, and his parent's voices were nowhere to be found. All at once, his head began to hurt, and a sense of fear struck him. He honestly just didn't want to know what was happening around him, or even where he possibly was.

"Oi!" Came a sour voice invading his ears. He felt soft bursts of pressure in his side, as if someone was lightly attempting to kick him awake. "Are you going to wake up anytime soon?"

Alfred's eyes slowly slipped open despite himself. The sight in front of him made him swallow his own throat, and his stomach gave a lurch.

His nightmare had come true. Towering over his limp body was the man from the night before. He seemed even more terrifyingly real now.

Alfred had a better glimpse of him now. He was able to note the other had a broad frame, yet somehow still managed to remain thin. He was dressed in a ratty and torn white suit, which, though tacky, really seemed to fit with his blue skin, and dark green eyes that bore down on him expectantly. He was topped off with messy and tussled blonde hair and unusually thick eyebrows that almost made him look comical, in spite of the fact he was making the teen quake in his shoes.

"Well? Are you up, then?" The man asked with furrowed brows, giving them an extra large appearance. A scowl was placed over his face as he spoke, and he had a rather impatient air around him. His very obvious accent from somewhere in Britain - it sounded more like the southern parts - stood out while he spoke. "You've been sleeping for hours. Come now and stand."

It took Alfred a second to realize there were several other figures gathering around. He sucked in air, trying heavily not to freak out.

Skeletons and disembodied corpses encompassed him. A lady in a puffy, yellow dress meandered around, missing an ear and an arm. A man's bellowing laugh left half his face, as the other side had been completely blown off. Then there were people like the man whom had followed him, who had a gaping hole in his lower abdomen that showed through the material of his nice shirt.

His brain told him to run, but he felt like shit. The most he could do was crawl to his feet, moving backwards the best distance he could.

"Arthur, is he alright?" Someone hissed softly into Alfred's ear. He spun, only to find a black widow perched on a web. It's eyes studied him carefully, as he attempted to work out how, in any universe, an insect would be making that noise. "He seems a bit... spooked."

Alfred's mind was playing tricks on him. He knew it. Suddenly, everything in the room looked as if it wanted to maim him. He drew back from the web, his feet carrying him in between tables and stools that lined the mysterious room he was in.

The man, whom he guessed was Arthur, rolled his eyes in reaction. He still had a tint of something that resembled worry in them, however. "Don't get yourself hurt," he muttered, reaching out a hand in Alfred's direction to calm him. "And don't go wandering around. You'll get lost. But, regardless, are you alright?"

If he spoke his honest feelings and said "Of course I'm not okay! I've been stalked and drug to a place full of monsters I don't know, and everyone's a freaking mutant!" he felt he'd be severely punished. Instead, he gave a light nod of his head, doing his best to suppress any shaking words. "I-"

"Quite odd, isn't he, ma chere?"

A limb fell to the floor. Was that...

Alfred glanced up, only to find a stunned Arthur holding a gap in his head where an eyeball should have been. Instead was... a worm like thing poking out of his fingers. It was absolutely mortifying.

"Damn maggot." Arthur hissed under his breath, biting his lip in what seemed like embarrassment.

Alfred clenched his fists. He needed to get out of here. This place was dangerous. He changed directions suddenly, and forced his feet to carry him as fast as he could. He didn't know where he was going. He just knew he had to run. Again.

A stunned, "H-Hey!" behind him almost made him pause, but he forced it from his mind and kept going. An alley to the left of him was the perfect escape route. He turned, only to come face to face with a normal looking man dressed in elegant wear.

"Excuse me," he nodded to the panicked man, stepping to the left, the same way Alfred was going. He repeated these movements on the right, greatly frustrating the American. "Excuse me." He finally said, and suddenly his entire body peeled apart in half with a terrifying ripping sound. Alfred's eyes opened wide, but he refused to let this slow him down.

Alfred sped through the alley, hooking to the right again as soon as he could. This time, he stopped when he spotted a little girl playing knee-deep in the sand of a creek that ran through this dark town. He couldn't leave her here. What if she was alone?

"What are you doing here, kid?" He asked with urgency in his words. "Come on, you have to get out of here."

"Why would I do that?" She asked him, glancing up with a frown. Her brown hair poofed on either side of her head, and her eyebrows - which reminded Alfred of Arthur's - raised up questioningly.

"It's not safe here! There's monsters and talking spiders and..."

"You mean dead people?" She chuckled, turning away from him to face her sand-castle. "Yes, I've noticed. Isn't that why you're here? Isn't that why we're all stuck in this underworld?" The girl's hand disappeared under the wet sand for a few moments. When she drew it out, a knife glinted in her fingers.

Alfred watched carefully, unsure of what to make of this. "What are you...?"

He never got to finish. The girl plunged it straight into her calf, and a scream of pain left her throat. Alfred jumped back, wincing from the sound, and his heart sped up all that much. "Dude, are you okay? What the hell? We have to get you to a-!"

No. She was laughing. This young girl had an evil smile put up. It was all a sick joke.

"That's not cool. Not cool one bit!" Alfred shouted back, genuinely having worried for her safety. "W-Wait..." The blood drained from his face. "Does that mean, everyone here is... dead? But that's a mistake! I'm not dead! I don't belong here!"

"That's what they all say," the young girl simply sighed, losing interest in the individual already. "What happened? Betrayed by your parents? Starvation?"

"I wasn't killed!" Alfred groaned in frustration. "I was... chased in the woods by that guy!"

"Alfred?" A voice called from very nearby. It was Arthur. "Fuck..!"

Alfred hurriedly glanced around for means of escape. Nearby was a rather tall building of cobblestone, lined with vines that stretched into the sky for what seemed like miles. "Stay safe..." He whispered, though more to himself than to the girl. She said nothing back.

He hobbled up to the building, perching behind a grouping of bushes as he worked to get a hand hold. As soon as he had, he gripped onto the many stems and leaves, heaving his weight onto the ladder-like plant. It worked. Hopefully it'd hold the entire way up.

* * *

Alfred worked up the building what felt like half an hour later. He was sweating and weak, and had just barely managed to keep his grip when he felt the top of the ledge. He scrambled to pull himself up, flopping a leg tiredly over the edge. It connected with the ground on the other side, giving Alfred leverage to fold his entire body into a mess on the ground.

"That was quite silly."

Alfred's eyes shot open. He pushed himself into a sitting position, and he caught sight of the man standing in front of him with crossed arms and a laugh escaping his lips.

"Why wouldn't you just take the stairs?"

Alfred needed to face this. He had to get back to Lili. Why was he down here anyways? Why did they think he was dead?

"Listen," Alfred said sternly, though his voice trembled in the slightest. "I have to get out of here. I shouldn't be here. Why are you following me everywhere?"

Arthur seemed a bit taken off guard. He probably hadn't expected it. "Why?" He repeated. "Isn't it obvious? I'm keeping you out of trouble with the locals." He brushed hair from his eyes, looking the other direction. His lips began to move, but no words came out for the first couple of seconds, as if he was nervous about saying something.

And when he had, Alfred wished Arthur would just take it back.

"After all..." He mumbled, fingers intertwining in the fabric of his coat. "I think I should at least watch out for someone who went as far as to propose to me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Rating: K+ **  
**Warnings: Death mentioning, song lyrics inserted **  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the song "Remains of the Day" from the 2005 Movie, the Corpse Bride.**

* * *

**Wow, hey, guys! So, my chapters from this point on aren't always going to be this short, but they aren't going to be super long, either. I want to make this span across more than a few chapters, so I'm spreading it out as much as possible!**

**Thank you to those who have reviewed it so far! It means a lot to me and hope you enjoy this and the upcoming chapters.**

**This is the only song I'll be incorporating in song form, which I simply included because I felt it was important. The only other song I'll be using will be Tears to Shed, which is going to be just in talking form.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this! Thanks!**

* * *

Alfred's throat burned from the stench of the undead already. True, it wasn't all that bad, as it seemed the smell of rotting flesh was masked by how well they were preserved, however, his imagination drove him to believe the air was on fire and easily invading his insides.

It had taken a while, but Alfred had managed to calm himself down enough to at least agree to be taken back to the pub with Arthur. To chat for a bit, they said. The Brit could obviously see he was confused and a tad scared, as he began treating it less head-on.

"I'm really sorry..." Alfred mumbled as he finished out his story. On stage, a man with sloppy brown hair, cracking skin and bones, danced and sang romance songs. "See, I didn't know you were just... a guy. I thought you were like, stalking me or something!" He laughed half-heartedly, biting his lower lip as he continued. "Thanks for clearing that up, though. Though this is still kinda weird for me..."

"Don't rush yourself," Arthur nodded firmly. He had such an official air about him. What a stick in the mud. "Accept it at your own pace. I can wait as long as you need."

Alfred nodded gratefully, quite glad Arthur was understanding, even if he didn't plan to stick around for long. He had to get out of here as soon as he could. He had to get back to Lili.

The two had been chattering for quite some time, mostly small talk, about their past. Alfred learned Arthur had been born and raised a few towns away, and had moved up here two years within his death. Arthur was quite surprised to learn Alfred was from across the ocean, explaining why any accent he had was very light, and why he seemed to have more life than any of the people in the town.

It was true. Their entire village was dead. Even if you were living, you were basically a walking corpse - no pun intended. People moved slowly and quietly. There was no friendliness in the barren city. If you weren't rich, you were sick and poor. It was a natural balance that made everyone have a depressing, morose life.

"So," Arthur broke his thoughts, catching Alfred's glance when he turned back up to face the other. Alfred took the opportunity to really study Arthur's face, remembering all the features. Now that he knew, the other seemed to be more elegant, in that totally freaky way, of course. "I'm just curious as to one thing you haven't explained."

Alfred frowned questioningly, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Those vows..." Arthur said with a softer tone. "They were vows, were they not?" Alfred nodded, his throat going dry. "I mean... I found it odd enough you had proposed to me of all people. You ran from me. I thought you were just a bloody moron." Alfred pulled an offended expression, though it didn't affect him all that much. "But, now I'm just awfully curious... as to why you had been saying them in such a way? It didn't seem... personal... to me. More like it was meant for-"

A bell erupted in a loud shrill. Alfred noticeably jumped from the unexpected sound, as he frantically looked around for the source of it. It sounded like a fire alarm. He felt a hand gently touch his arm, and he was faced with Arthur chuckling subtly, shaking his head at his antics, probably telling him to calm down.

When the ringing had died down, the man onstage continued the noise with a hearty laugh, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Great!" He chanted, catching the attention of all. "I just wanted to get your attention to welcome our newcomer, Alfred!"

The crowd of undead began cheering and clapping all around - or at least those who had heads and hands did - and Alfred felt a slight pang of pride being welcomed so happily. After all, it wasn't often he was the center of attention, especially not as much as he'd like to be.

"To start off our night, though, I thought we'd give our new fiances a look into each other's lives," The skeleton-man laughed. Arthur stiffened, confusing Alfred greatly. He could practically see the warning glare the other was handing off to the one on stage.

"Need some help, Roma?" A woman cat-called and was pushed onto the stage. She didn't look too terribly dead, actually, other than the fact her skin had turned an ugly shade of grey. Her blonde hair was held in by a broken headband, and she slipped over to the drum set in the corner of the room.

Several people began cheering on "Zoe" with several different phrases that were repeated throughout the crowd, each unique in their own ways. Perhaps this was a common occurrence.

"Everybody ready, then?" Roma laughed, obviously ignoring the duo in the back of the bar. "Then come along on this magical tale~ Hit it, boys."

A steady, fun beat of music began to play, echoing around the room. Everyone was quiet, bouncing from the beginnings of their entertainment.

A group of skeletons were on stage, swaying to the melody. Roma used his fists as a way to create bright tones that gave off an ironically happy sound. Another skeleton had a light shined straight onto him, as he added in with a funky piano sound that really added to the song.

_"Hey!"_ Roma's voice cut in, a haunting but firm tone to it. Alfred felt almost as if he was being drawn into the story right off the bat. _"Give me a listen, you corpses of cheer. At least those of you, who still got an ear!"_

The crowd erupted into laughter at the lyrics, amused by the fact it was true they had lost many of their body parts. Roma continued to sway and move down the line in a smooth pattern, being followed by his dancing skeleton group.

_"I'll tell you a story; make a skeleton cry!"_ Roma turned his focus and the lights straight into Alfred and Arthur's eyes. The American shielded his own, peering through the bright streaks as he was hardly able to see Arthur, whom had sat back and sunken in on himself because of the unwarranted attention. _"Of our own jubiliciously lovely corpse bride!"_

The light changed from them, just as Arthur sat forward with a clear scowl on his face. "I'm not a girl!" He yelled out bitterly, hardly able to be heard above the music. "Stop calling me that!"

Roma started the next phrase with a,_ "Die, die, we all pass away! Don't wear a frown, 'cause it's really okay!"_ and a slow ripple of people began joining in until it was a mesh of loud voices and fun within the group. Alfred noticed Arthur kept quiet in regards to it, brooding over the fact he had now been introduced as the protagonist of their little story.

_"And you might try and hide, and you might try and pray. But we all end up the remains of the day!"_

The voices quieted. It reminded Alfred of the songs used in church; the chorus was used over and over, but the verses always changed.

_"Well, our boy's a beauty, known for miles around."_ Roma's voice turned into that of a storyteller as he spoke. _"When a mysterious stranger came into town. He's plenty good-lookin', but down on his cash. And this poor little Briton, he fell for him fast! When his daddy said no, he just couldn't cope. So our lovers came up with a plan to elope!"_ Arthur grit his teeth at the words, angrily turning back to face the table. His face fell into his hands as he attempted to ignore the words and continue with his drinking. Alfred reached out to touch his shoulder gently. Honestly, why was having people know he fell in love such a bad thing? It happened to everyone, well, mostly everyone.

The chorus came and went with his thoughts, and suddenly, the verse had returned, along with a clear man's voice as he bellowed out the words. _"So, they conjured a plan, to meet late at night. They told not a soul, kept the whole thing tight. Now his father's suit, it fit like a glove, you don't need much when you're really in love."_

Roma had a mischievous smirk on his face when he continued, leaning in dramatically towards the audience, as if it was a big secret. The music lessened, making it so only his voice was focused on. This intrigued Alfred, and he found himself absorbed in the story to the point he just wanted to know what came next. _"Except for a few things, or so I'm told, like the family jewels and a sack full of gold."_

A shadow shone in the back of the room, created by who knows what. It showed the short man waiting out by a single tree, looking around desperately, as if trying to spot someone. _"Then, next to the graveyard, by the old oak tree, on a dark foggy night, at a quarter to three, the Brit was ready to go, but where was he?"_

A man's shadow formed behind Arthur's. Alfred wanted to desperately yell at him to turn around. It was like watching a play. No matter how badly you wanted to shout, "Don't go into the chamber!" you couldn't change the outcome of the play. It was all inevitable.

_"He waited... there in the shadows? Was that his man? His little heart beat so loud. And then everything went black..."_

The shadow was overcome by that of the man. Alfred suddenly felt the overwhelming sensation of a character death. He turned his eyes towards Arthur, whom had no longer submitted to hearing the tale. Instead, he resulted to looking down towards the ground, using his arms as a hovering cover. Humiliation seemed to seep from his skin.

Alfred had no time to brood over it. The song was engaging once more.

_"Now when he opened his eyes, he was dead as dust. His jewels were missing, and his heart was bust. So he made a vow, lyin' under that tree, that he'd wait for his true love to come set him free."_ The lights focused once more on the pair. Arthur scrunched up when he noticed. Alfred sat back with squinted eyes. Perhaps they had already forgotten he wasn't dead, and light indeed affected his vision._ "Always waitin' for someone to ask for his hand, when out of the blue came this groovy young man. Who vows forever, to be by his side."_

The song paused. The entire room went silent. Alfred blinked, realizing all eyes had turned to him, with both smiles, saddened expressions, and expecting tilts of the head. He laughed nervously, unsure of what he was really supposed to do.

_"And that's the story of our lovely corpse bride!"_


	4. Chapter 4

**Rating: K+ **  
**Warnings: None**

**So, this is, unfortunately, one of the shorter chapters, but I promise longer ones are coming up! I had just planned for there to be long chapters, followed by short ones, so a lot of the story will be like that. **

**Thank you for continuing to review! Enjoy!**

* * *

There was an air of happiness that followed the party of music, with the men and women around the pub jumping on stage to sing tunes from across the centuries. Alfred began realizing many of these songs were highly popular in his town, which implied many things about the population of this underworld.

It was still weird to him to be around these centuries dead people, some of them even living in his town. It was almost like... walking into a giant history lesson. Everyone carried clothing and wounds they bore from the years they suffered through. They had their own stories; their own personalities. Alfred wondered if maybe he'd be remembered like that. If some young teen would wander down to his grave and ask about all the places he'd traveled. This moment would certainly be something he'd tell his grand kids years from now.

Despite the partying, the two still got looks from the passerbys, mostly focused on Arthur. Apparently, not all of them had known this story. Some gave him looks of pity. Others had no emotion while they stared. Alfred watched as Arthur squirmed due to the looks, his face turning heavier from the annoyance they caused. He felt a tightness every time he tried to think about the story, or even about Arthur's agony he'd carried with him past death. The fact he still held the remains of his head- or what was left of it- high was something to be heavily respected.

It wasn't long until Alfred felt fingers slipping into his open palm as he listened to those on stage, and their smooth melodies. His thoughts had absorbed him to the point it was mostly just background music. He twitched in surprise, not expecting the cold skin of the other to make a sudden appearance on his hand. Even if Alfred had begun to find this place cool in just a few hours, he still wasn't used to the idea of dead bodies touching him. "Hey," Arthur leaned in, catching his glimpse. His voice seemed more hallow than it had in the past. "Would you mind if we went somewhere else? These imbeciles..." He trailed off, not even bothering to continue the sentence.

Alfred felt safest in the bar. It seemed everyone was kind to each other, and it wasn't as if he didn't have places to get weapons from, if they all suddenly turned on him. But he couldn't deny Arthur this. He knew just how uncomfortable he must have felt. "Sure."

* * *

They wandered for a few minutes through the streets that spread through many houses and alleys. There didn't seem to necessarily be a day or night here, though there was a time that faint, yellow light highlighted the world, and a time it faded into a white glow. The streets now shone with the cover of night.

The area was somewhat beautiful, even if everything was... y'know... dead. Even the flowers hardly stood, wilting from their core. It was saddening to just see them perish, but everything had to move on at some point. _Die, die, we all pass away. _

Arthur suddenly halted in his walking, causing Alfred to freeze as well. He glanced up, the hand connected to his dropping from its grip, to find the Brit motioning towards an empty bench. "Is this alright with you?" He asked, wanting to make the other comfortable. "We can go to my house, if you'd like, or somewhere else. I just thought it was rather... pretty here?" He shifted to his other foot. His body language screamed nervousness. God, Arthur could really be a sap.

The bench was simple. It was made of general granite-stone, with the backing being crafted to have etchings of words that were hard to make out along it. But with the moonlight having a direct path to shine on it from the lack of nearby cover, and the flowers spreading across the dead grass standing upright, it gave it a sort of elderly, natural beauty. "I'm fine here!" Alfred was just glad there was something that resembled an item from the human world, honestly. He'd take anything he could get. "I don't need some special place to sit." He cast a glance over the crafting of it, hoping that this wasn't just something that had fallen or broke to symbolize its death in the human world. He didn't exactly want to fall through.

The pair settled down easily, though Alfred had moved to the far side of the bench, keeping his distance. He still felt hesitant just relaxing. Even if this was stone, what if it suddenly cracked? J_ust put up with it for now, Jones_. Alfred thought to himself. _You can trick him or something. Maybe he'll take you back. _

Alfred stretched out his legs while he had the chance, feeling like he had slept in a coffin for a week with all the stiffness in his muscles. God, this sucked. He just wanted a warm bath and his bed that seemed to absorb him as part of it. How much he'd give to go to the mortal lands.

Arthur rustled next to him, and crumpled over until he was peering under the stone. His hands reached into the darkness, and came back out with a white box that was wrapped in ribbon. He coughed heavily for a few seconds, before shoving it into Alfred's lap like it was nothing. "A present," he said before Alfred could even ask. "I thought it was unnecessary, but Francis and Elizaveta told me to get it for you..."

"Who are they?" Alfred asked, conflicted on the gift. On one end, cool, free stuff! On the other, what would a dead person give as a present, and, for what? He flipped over the tag, finding scribbled words. _Happy engagement. _This guy moved fast.

"I'm glad you asked~" Came a rather snooty reply. Alfred didn't expect a third person to come along. He glanced up, expecting to see someone standing right there, but there was no one. "Mon lapin, would you mind setting me down on the bench?"

Arthur huffed at the request, though this didn't stop him as he grabbed something from within the fabric of his sleeve. And out popped that little worm thing from earlier. Alfred pulled a not-so-friendly face, scooting away from the bug as it squirmed. The Briton didn't seem affected carrying it around inside his skin. Gross.

"Okay, that's just kinda creepy." Alfred scrunched his face at the weird appearance of it. It was green, with yellow tints over its head that resembled hair.

"Excusez moi?" Francis the maggot asked indignantly. "I'm a noble. I'll have you know I stowed away on Napoleon's ship for years, until we docked here!" The thing erected itself in the weirdest of ways. He held his head up, as if it somehow possessed a chin, and his slime went on hold for a few moments.

"And how did you die?" Alfred laughed, unbelieving to the fact this puny thing could mean so much. "Stabbed by a pirate? Maimed by Beethoven? In the midst of saving the King?"

Francis hesitated, and his face fell as he answered, "...I got stepped on..."

Arthur and Alfred snorted at the same time, Arthur holding his lips to prevent sound from escaping. Alfred wasn't as kind, and let it rip, laughing out loud as the little thing cursed his presence.

"Maybe I shouldn't have helped pick out such a wonderful gift," Francis sniffed, turning his back to Alfred and facing his host. "You seem ungrateful."

"You weren't the only one that had a say in it, idiot." Alfred's eyes widened, and he snapped his head back to see a spider he hadn't noticed before perched on his shoulder. "I did most of the thinking."

Alfred instinctively swatted at the offending insect, as it went flying in the other direction. It landed on Arthur, who seemed unphased by the action.

"What was that?" The black spider demanded, its words threatening. "I was only talking! No need to hit me!"

"This is getting way too weird way too fast." Alfred shuddered. If there was one thing he didn't like, it was spiders in his space. "First, a talking maggot was odd enough, but a talking spider? And they're fighting each other?"

"They don't get along well, half the time." Arthur sighed heavily, turning his scolding glares to them. "But, then again, I don't think it's possible for me to agree with anything this frog has to say."

"That's not very nice, ma femme!" The maggot chuckled. From Arthur's clear lack of reaction at the pet name, Alfred guessed he didn't speak much French. "Though I'm clearly the only one that can be trusted."

"Oh, bloody hell, just open it." Arthur instructed, plucking Francis from his spot and shoving him back within his shirt. There were French curses from far off, but Arthur forbid Alfred from caring with his eyes. "It's not anything special, however..."

Alfred pulled a very fake smile as he pulled off the lid. "Uh... thanks," he said without any sort of glee, as he withdrew with pieces of bone dangling from his fingers. "Just what I wanted..."

Alfred glanced back to Arthur, just in time to see him rolling his eyes. "Are you that dense?" He took the box from the other's hands, and spilled the bones out on to the dirty ground.

"What was-" Alfred stopped as he felt a rush of cold wind rush over him. It didn't seem like a normal breeze. More like what he had felt the night he proposed on accident. The bones were moved by the invisible chill, cast into a flurry that spun them in the air for moments, like a mini-tornado. "Dude, this is awesome! But... what is it?"

"Wait a second."

And Alfred did. The tornado-ish wind began to die down, and a click sounded as all the bones popped into place. And standing right before Alfred was a puppy made of remains. Even creepier, it barked and wagged its tail.

The dog knew its owner right off the bat, and Alfred found it galloping toward him at top speeds. It leaped, landing right on the lap of the shocked American. He heard chuckles from several voices, but ignored it as to avoid embarrassment.

"What's your name... boy?" Alfred said quite awkwardly, unsure of how to handle a dead dog resting on his legs. His fingers picked at the shining tag around its neck. "Taffy..." What? He recognized that name... "Oh my god! Wait, Taffy! Is that you?"

The puppy barked at the name, making Alfred laugh with a cheerful glee. His arms wrapped around the skinless canine, his face burying in the crook of its neck. "I thought mom had sent you to the farm! Not... Oh god." He laughed regardless, scratching different parts of the animal. "Hmm? You like that, boy?"

"I hope it isn't too much," Arthur mumbled, scratching the top of his head with questioning fingers. "I, uh... I just thought it'd be nice?"

Alfred beamed. He loved this dog the most of all his past animals. To be reunited was the best feeling ever. "It's perfect!" He insisted, and it was true. This was great. "'Sorry I didn't get you anything, though."

"It's fine!" Arthur said quickly, biting his lip at the eagerness. "It wasn't required. I just wanted to make your stay easier."

"Ma chère, I swear, I can feel your modesty crawling in your skin~" Francis crawled from the tangled mess of hair on Arthur's head, dangling down the length of Arthur's face teasingly.

"Shut it."

"Francis, you're nothing but a nuisance." It was Elizaveta's turn to prod at the pair. "Can't you tell Arthur's just shining with love?"

"I swear, I'm going to drown you both," Arthur hissed, his face scrunching as it always had when he was irritated. Alfred was quite amused by the banter. Even if they were a group of odd characters, they still seemed like a perfect family.

Maybe Alfred could use that someday, when he got back to Lili.

Maybe...


	5. Chapter 5

**Rating: K+ **

**Warnings: Insults and a new character **

**I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I've wanted to make it longer, but I don't want to stretch it out too far. **  
**This chapter is all about Lili and her perspective on it. Also, a new stranger has appeared in town. What could he want? I'm also sorry if you guys wanted more Lili. She'll show up more later.**

**I really did want to update more, but school got stressful and in the way, so I couldn't do it. Now that I have more time, and summer's coming up, this story should be finished within the next two months or so. **

* * *

"I just don't know what it is..." A brush of horse hair ran softly across a young woman's fine, short, blonde locks. They looked like glittering gold with the candlelight flickering across their strands. She adjusted herself, the weight of a heavy wedding gown pressing down her shoulders. "I don't know why I feel the need to marry him... but I do... He was really sweet, brother. Different. A bit silly, sure... but cute."

Lili tossed her head over her shoulder, eyes big and curious and forgiving like they'd always been. She'd always been an angel in disguise to Vash. The young maiden he was chosen to look after. "Did you like him?"

Vash coughed as memories of the way he'd treated the poor man flashed up. It wasn't necessarily his fault. He just needed to watch after the young girl. He didn't want any young suitor popping up and taking her hand before she had had the chance to decide for herself. Not that she even had a choice in the matter.

"He was fine." Vash said sternly. His fingers groped the two sides of her head, gently tilting Lili's head back to face the mirror so he could continue his work. Her lips protruded at him through the mirror in a sort of prompting frown, to which he ignored. "Rather, he _is_ fine. We need to hurry. Mum-... Madam. Zwingli is waiting to run through your vows."

The hair Vash had been running through constantly slipped out of his hand. When he went to turn his head up, it was instead embraced by a small frame that held him tightly. His eyes widened in recognition, and it took him but a second to pry the girl off.

"I'm sorry..." Her voice was heavy and barely above a whisper, and she looked up at him with remorse. "I... wish... I wish it was me and not you..."

Vash turned his eyes away, instead replacing them with a hand that plopped on the top of her head. "Lili, you're a princess now." He mumbled. "Look at your dress. This is what you wanted when you were younger, wasn't it? Wearing fluffy dresses everyday, eating like a queen, and... marrying a prince. You got that all down, despite having such a lowly husband. And I promised I'd be your servant. So that's how it works. We're living our dreams."

Lili grew quiet. They basked in the silence of their slow breathing, each thinking back to the past they lived when they were young.

"Lili! What's taking you so long? Blasted fool!"

The shrill screech of their mother was enough to drag them back to reality. Vash sighed heavily at the words, and took the girl's hand softly in his own. "Now, let's get you to your wedding..." He began walking towards the bedroom door, with her quickly complying and following in tow. It seemed, for every step he took, she had to take two. "M'lady."

* * *

Lili felt her head reeling. Her stomach turned. She felt her eyes begin to water as her mind pestered her from the pit of her thoughts.

_"Alfred..._

_"Seen with another woman..."_

_"Dressed for a wedding..."_

_"Disappeared..."_

These were all words she had picked up from listening to the bickering of Marion and Katarine. Their husbands stood quietly to the side, pulling disgusted expressions at one another through the conversation.

Lili felt a tear slip down her cheek, and in surprise, she wiped it away on the sleeve of her dress. She wasn't ever to cry in front of her parents. It was the unsaid rule. She noticed a movement across the room, noting that Vash had flinched and twitched when she had begun to cry. She wouldn't make him break his duty and get punished to simply comfort her. That was her resolve she needed to suck up her tears and face it like it was.

"This is preposterous!" Katarine's voice was high and angry, and her face, a pure red. "I should have known you Jones were all trouble! I could have found a much better groom for my dear Lili, instead of your oaf of a son! Now there's no wedding, and no money!"

She caught herself just in time. Lili tuned out from the questions that were sure to come, instead focusing on a clock that ticked in the corner of the room. _Tick tick tick. _Its steady rhythm was enough to allow her to absorb into her imagination. The dreams she'd had last night replayed in her mind. Alfred's vows were perfect, though he had tripped when he tried to give her the ring, but recovered it just in time. His glasses were falling off and his shirt had crinkled, but he still smiled and laughed and gently patted her hand to show he was alright. Their reception had been grand. They'd danced and shared a lovely kiss and set a basis for the rest of their life. The perfect, silly wedding.

However... with Alfred gone...

Lili felt herself fall back to reality, and her weeping gradually overcame her in silence.

"There's something else..." Marion whispered haughtily, though in slight amusement. "There's a rumour this girl was actually a man who was simply dressed in a wedding suit.

"We think it's just that he has run off with friends for the night," Richard added with a grin. "He'll be back tomorrow. Just wait. Our Alfred wouldn't leave his bride-to-be of such beauty just to stay with a man."

* * *

_"This is it, Lili. This is your chance not to disgrace our family any further. You will do as I say. Don't give me that look! We'll be on the streets if you refuse. Poor. laughing stock. We'll be living in the sewers. Do you want that? Do you want us to send that rat of a servant away? That's right. We won't be able to afford to support him. We'll lose everything. Now that that Alfred idiot is out of the way, we have a chance at getting real money to save us from our debt out of this wedding. Don't mess this up. Keep him company. Acquaintance yourself before the marriage._

_Do not mess this up, Lilianna, or there will be trouble for you."_

"Lord Ivan..." Lili's voice was soft, and her face rattled with disgust. It wasn't like her to judge someone so easily, but when he just seemed so sleazy...

"Yes, my dear?" He spoke in that silky tone, laced with a foreign accent that was odd to hear around here. True, this town was mainly people of foreign countries that needed a place to settle where jobs were found, but on like he had? Odd to hear.

His rather large fingers brushed against her cheek, making her shudder in his hold. She had been told she was to spend the day with him. Ordered. Forced alone into her room with him while he held her and discussed their future.

Lili was being forced to marry this rich stranger who had rolled into town, rather than her love, Alfred.

"I'd like to go use the privies..." She said quietly. If she got denied, she'd run. She was small enough to slip through. However, her plan didn't need to be put into affect, and, seconds later, he released her.

Lili wasted no time in rushing from the room, the door practically slamming behind her. Her foot caught on the long fabric of her white gown several times, and she was sure at least one tear would come about from her toenails digging in, but she needed to find Vash.

"M'Lady!" Her heels skid across the wood floor, stopping her in her tracks. She turned in a flurry, unfocused eyes training on the blonde boy, who stood with a frown in the doorway of an empty room. "Is everything alright?"

They made connection in a few seconds. Lili had thrown her arms around him, her head burying in the crook of the man's neck in a desperate attempt for comfort. She was normally calm, so this had been an entirely new feeling for her. But the visitor had shaken her up quite badly.

She released him timidly, backing up and straightening her dress. Her posture was corrected in seconds, and she stood with apologetic, wide eyes as she glanced up towards the face of Vash.

"V-Vash..." She said with a trembling voice. "I don't want to marry Lord Ivan. Even if Alfred's missing. I...I'd rather die than be taken on as his wife!..."

She jumped when the other's hand was placed on her shoulder, and slowly wrapped around her back to bring her in close. It was nice to have him so close to her. He was her one comfort. The person she trusted the most.

"...I'll find Alfred." His voice was wispy. "If you want it to be done, then it will. You will not marry Lord Ivan, I swear to you."

Lili felt her chest swell at his words. She returned the embrace, her fingers groping at the fabric and crinkling it between her hands. Her face found its spot in his warm chest. "...Brother.. I love you...thank you."

"And I, you, _M'lady."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Rating: T  
Warnings: Light language, Possibly OOC Seychelles  
**

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**First off, I'm so, so sorry for the way I right Seychelles. In case you can't tell, I'm not someone who's ever written her before for a fanfiction, I've never Rped with a Michelle, and I don't really read fanfiction with her in it. Originally the Elder was going to be Vladmir, but I'd butcher his character even worse. **

**Anyways, I'm also sorry for not updating that often. I'm going to be starting a new fanfiction, so this one is going to be written and finished within the next week and a half. I'm on summer break now, so that should be quite simple for me to do. **

**Thanks for continuing to read this!**

* * *

Who would ever expect the people that partied the hardest would be the dead?

It made sense. They never had to sleep, so they could go on for hours. Never felt the need to eat, so when they did, they could eat as much or as little as they wanted. Half the time, drinks only fell out through holes in their body, so that didn't make much sense, but they seemed to enjoy it all the same. On top of that, they had nothing to lose, so staying up for days on end to sing and dance the night away was a perfectly fine way to spend their time in the lands of the undead.

Alfred had grown tired of it long ago, though the antics of the corpses sliding against each other in a dance while they bellowed harmonies was quite amusing. However, one thing had been on his mind since he and Arthur had returned back to the pub, after dropping Taffy off at Arthur's room. If he could have one wish, he knew exactly what it would be.

"Hey... Arthur." Alfred moved his lips nervously, but he didn't actually make a sound. He sighed quite heavily, rubbing his temples. He would ask this if it killed him.

...Ehehe.

"Artie," Alfred called softly, though it was enough for Arthur to at least hear his voice over the loud roar of the music. The man blinked over at Alfred, raising a questioning eyebrow, beckoning him to continue.

"Arthur, I'd like to... go visit the mortal world." Alfred said bravely, adding in a slight grin to show he meant no harm in it. He prepared for a scolding, denial, rejection, glare, anything. Whenever someone seemed to mention where the humans lived, the others would brood for hours.

Arthur only put a hand to his ear, signalling Alfred had to be louder.

"I wanna go to the mortal world...!" Alfred said louder. He was almost at yelling point, and Arthur still only replied with a 'What?'

"I. Wanna. Go. To. The. Mortal. World." The American boy enunciated with each word. His head rang from the mix of his voice, and the very loud music.

"Huh?"

"I WANNA GO TO THE MORTAL WORLD."

Arthur's hands clenched tightly around his drink. His eyes widened a great amount. Altogether, he seemed pretty shocked.

But the part that Alfred felt most uncomfortable about was the fact it seemed everyone in the pub had heard his shouted request. The music died down with a few sour notes. The bodies stopped moving, and instead turned their attention to the American. He shrunk in their gaze.

Attention was good, sure, but not if you had the undead that seemed like they wanted to snack on you for dinner watching your every move.

"The mortal world?" Arthur's heavy voice caused Alfred to fear the worst. "Now, that's silly. Why would you want to go there?" This was loud enough for the audience they had gathered of shocked corpses to realize they needed to go back to their own devices.

Gradually, the music started again, slowly and softly, which brought in the audience to their songs. Alfred was grateful for the change, and he eased up enough to answer. "Well...I..." Damn, why hadn't he come up with a reason, first? That'd save him quite a lot of trouble. Especially in this kind of a situation. "I...um... My parents."

"Your parents?" It was Arthur's turn to be unsure. He quirked his head, nose crinkling at the thought. "Right. They must still be alive. It's not like you look dead... I'm sure you could pass off as a human if you wanted to say your goodbyes..."

"No!" Alfred sat upright, making Arthur jump at the sudden intensity. "No! I... that's not it!... I wanted to introduce you to them...? Haha, yeah! I wanted you to meet ol' Mom and Pop. I promised I'd never run off and get married without their approval." To add the dramatic effect he was going for, the American reached across the table, taking Arthur's bony hand within his own. He gently gave it a squeeze. This was enough to cause the bones to dislocate, making the skeleton of the limb fall off their owner's body and cling to his fingers. Alfred shrieked, shaking his hand until the grip lessened, and the hand fell to the table. Arthur jumped at the sight, quickly retrieving his hand and placing it back on his arms with a click.

"...Th-...They'd love you!"

Arthur cast a glance over Alfred's expression, 'causing him to smile wider. If the Brit saw right through him, he'd be screwed. What if he got angry and attacked him or somethin'?

"...Then.. that sounds alright. But we'd need to talk to the Elder first. She's the only one who can send us back."

"The Elder?" Alfred frowned in return. "Who's that?"

Arthur's eye twitched, and he folded his hands in his lap with a dry smile. "Someone I don't quite enjoying going to see. But we must if we want to go to the land of the living."

* * *

"Dammit, Artie, I really can't see. Do we have to go to her? There's no sort of magic staircase?" Alfred's voice echoed like bullets against the dirt walls that surrounded them. The stairs creaked with each step, birds crowed up ahead, and with a mix of Alfred's loud voice and natural noise, the entire thing was coated in a booming noise that reminded Alfred of when the carriages would clatter down the street in a parade.

His hand reached out in front of him carefully, just in case he missed his step in the darkness that seemed to be never ending. No magical light had offered him guidance towards their destination yet. He almost felt as if he'd become a member of the underworld before they even got to the Elder.

Fingers closed around his own and he jumped, before realizing it was the boney hand of Arthur directing him fumbling plight. He felt a bit more calmed, knowing Arthur probably knew the steps and direction ten-times better than he ever could.

"Unfortunately," Arthur sighed up ahead, giving Alfred more of a direction of where he was. His feet clattered with every step, alerting the American teen of when he was to keep moving forward. "No. She's the only one who has access to potions and such. I've tried to acquire it many times, however, she's been here years before anyone else here could remember." Alfred felt a slight fear of the unknown beginning to overcome him. What if she was crazy and tried to kill them or something?

Oh... well, that would be a fruitless plan.

"It's just up ahead," Arthur spoke softly, pulling at Alfred's arm to quicken their pace. Alfred followed, listening to the creak of the steps as a way to figure out where he was to follow. Arthur suddenly stopped within a few feet, and Alfred caught his breath as he awaited in silence for something to happen.

"She can be quite... intimidating to some," Arthur muttered, placing his hand on a hard object. "Don't let that get to you. She won't do anything to hurt you."

With that, a door was pushed open up ahead, and Alfred shaded his eyes as a light that burnt his head flooded into the staircase. Arthur, unaffected, released his hand and trudged ahead, leaving Alfred to follow suit.

The room up ahead was huge. Cobwebs hung from the cieling, books laid scattered around the floor and hung from the walls, torn and bloody, crows flew around, distubed at their arrival, and many, many bottles and buckets of unknowns liquids and solids coated the space from head-to-toe. Arthur stood in front of a 10-feet-tall desk, patiently awaiting the appearance of someone or something. It took Alfred a spike of bravery to slink over, standing tall behind Arthur as an attempt to look unafraid. However, at the bang of a book, he jumped back, hearing the clacking growl of Taffy at his side.

"Oi, " Came Arthur's annoyed and unafraid voice. He folded his arms, staring expectantly up ahead to the large desk, hardly giving time for the Elder to even respond. "Elder Michelle? Hurry up and come out here. I have important business I have to attend to."

"Don't be such a worry-puss," A young girl's voice actually played out in response. Alfred was stunned, and hit his ears to make sure he hadn't gotten dirt to clog up his hearing. A girl? A girl as an all powerful and scary Elder? Sounded highly unlikely. "You have all the time in the world. Why not relax a little, instead of causing yourself a mock stroke."

Elder Michelle appeared not a second later, tossing her deep brown hair that was wrapped in pig-tails over her shoulders, swatting away dust that moved in a cloud around her. She took a seat high above, looking down at the two figures with raised eyebrows.

Now, that was the weird part. Elder usually implies like, some kind of old, rotten skeleton that croaked with his words and had hard hearing. That was completely the opposite.

This girl had a deep golden skin, now rotted away from ages of being dead. She still had /skin,/ Someone had been preserved rather well, despite the pieces of bone showing through her cheeks and arms. Her hair was tangled and messy, but strung up by two ribbons into pigtails that hung to her ribs. She wore some kind of a blue dress that had been tattered and torn and was more like a few pieces of thread clinging to her body.

The weird part was how young she looked. Not much older than Alfred, at least. To be here longer than some of the crusty weirdoes that hung around and still look not a day over 20? Weird.

Arthur let off an irritated groan, and held a fist against his chin to show his impatientness. "Even so, the mortals in the world above do not."

Michelle's lips crinkled disapprovingly, and she tossed her head to glance out her window and ignore the Brit below. "Why would you worry about those bags of blood? They only live for a short while. We can live forever."

"Because we need to see my parents!" Someone else blurted out in the room. The pairs of eyes trained onto Alfred, and he glanced around to see who it was who had stated the obvious so lamely like that. Then he realized it had come from him. "My parents they... live up there. We're going to go see them."

The Elder steadied herself, and wobbled to her feet, studying Alfred with a terrifying glare. He felt the least bit intimidated by the witch (or so he assumed by her magic contents laying around) and stood his ground, flashing her an innocently cocky smile like he always managed.

"Aye, sounds fine," She sighed, and plooped open her giant book in front of her. Dust floated like a storm across the room, and Alfred was the only one to cover his eyes to protect himself. "Alright, let's see... where's that potion..."

Alfred watched with an intensity as she set to work. The first thing she did was pull a glass out of a compartment hidden in her desk, and snapped her fingers. A crow grabbed a jar of spheres that looked pecuiliarly like eyeballs. Plopping a few in and smashing them wiht her hand, she plucked out a feather of the crow as it screeched, throwing that in as well. A bird flew from overhead, dropping a vile of red liquid that fumed with yellow smoke into her hand, which she caught without looking at it, and dumped the remainders of that in as well. The potion exploded with a heated, green fume, and Alfred could practically see the "death" sign in the smoke.

"Alright, then, that should be good," She said with a grin, picking up the glass with her free hand and shoving the rest of the items away. Michelle swirled it like wine.

"That's your potion?" Alfred asked with fear, not quite wanting to be poisoned by the underworld inhabitants. "We have to drink that? To go to the mortal world?"

Michelle glanced at him with a smirk, cocking her head. "Eh? Non. This is my morning coffee." With that, she put it to her lips, and Alfred watched in shock as it disappeared into her mouth. She finished with a loud gulp, licking her lips, and set the glass back down on her desk.

Arthur heaved another dramatic sigh, tapping his foot in an unknown rhythm. "If you're through with your antics, could you go ahead and complete your ritual?"

Michelle rolled her eyes in return. Alfred watched as she wrapped her hands around a nearby crow, and it squeaked when she squeezed it. An egg clattered to the desk top that the bird had been forced to lay, and she released it, letting it flutter off to the cieling in fear.

"Alrighty, then," She picked up the oval shape, studying it over for impurities. Her hand swatted down, the egg making contact with the desk, and a crack appeared in the side. Taffy barked at Alfred's side, pushing his leg forward, before he scampered off to the side of the room and watched.

Michelle broke apart the two halves of the egg, and a smokey liquid began emitting from it, quickly blanketing Alfred. He froze in wait, hearing a deathly wind penetrate his ears. From somewhere in his cloudy vision, Arthur's hand touched his shoulder gently and reassuringly, calming him down in an instant. "Remember," Her voice echoed out like a booming drum, repeating its words with a deathly atmosphere. "When you want to return, say the word 'butterscotch,' and you'll be brought back to this world. Don't die up there... or you won't be able to return here!"

Alfred squeezed his eyes shut as his body was rattled. A chill ran through his bones. He felt the room begin to spin, yet, he was able to stand upright in this warmth.

The spinning gradually died down. His teeth began to chatter as the warm smoke faded. Arthur's hand left his body, which forced him to open his eyes and look around. As his vision began to return to him, he first glanced at a small, white dot falling in front of his eyes, landing on his nose and chilling it. Along came many more, and they all landed on the ground under his feet and blended into a crunchy, white floor. Sudden realization hit Alfred, and he turned in a full circle, the images of trees and bushes and dead flowers all around him. A happiness spread within him. He pulled at his ripped jacket to keep him warm, and sighed in content.

He was back in his town in the forest. He was home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: Both slash and het, slight language, possible French mistakes**

* * *

**1 chapter out of the Corpse Bride countdown written, 6 more to go.**

* * *

Alfred felt an overwhelming bubbliness and relief spread through his body, making his limbs go limp. He looked around him with a pure joy, enjoying the cracking of bushes, and screeching of birds, and the gusts of wind that chilled him to the bone. The crackling of snow under his dress shoes made the world seem almost like a wonderland.

It had only been what he thought to be a few days having gone by since he'd last been up here, but the world was so much more beautiful than he'd imagined. He'd been dying (again, no pun intended on his part) to come up here again. However, he didn't seem to be the only happy one.

Arthur looked absolutely shocked. His eyes were wide, his hands were reaching out towards the snow, and he had the hint of a smile on his face. The Brit kicked the snow under his foot, watching in amazement as it fluttered across the ground and landed in scattered piles. His eyes turned up to the sky, and following his view, Alfred came across the beautiful shine of the moon up above.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" Arthur said with a soft voice, walking under the trees and watching the ivory globe up above. "Just brilliant. I haven't seen this forest with that glow for... years. Seven, I think. It's just as bright as that night..."

He trailed off, closing his eyes and sinking to the ground to sit in the flurry of snow and dead plants and bushes. Even if there must have been pointy sticks and shards within the piles, he didn't seem to mind.

Alfred nearly smiled. It was kinda a sweet sight. Seeing a dead person be reunited with the living world. But, that in itself was a pretty creepy statement, which made him back off from any feelings he felt of seeing the Brit so happy to be nearly alive.

"Right, Alfred?" Arthur caught his attention with a sweet voice. "Weren't we going to go visit your parents?"

Alfred blinked at the question, and it took him moments to realize that had been his lie to get up here. "Y-Yeah, that was it!" He grinned shakily, throwing his eyes towards the bridge and across, where the dead town sat in the midst of the night.

Arthur picked himself up off the ground, using his bones to dust the snow off his pants and jacket. "Then, let's go. You can lead the way."

The American boy froze. He hadn't though this far. If he really went to visit his parents, they'd freak. If he went to visit Victoria to tell her what had happened, Arthur would know of his deception. Thinking on his toes once more, he blurted out, "You wait here! I-I'll go warm them up, 'kay? You know... the whole... engaged to a corpse might come as a surprise haha... Right? Yeah. I'll go tell them about us and what's happened, and you wait here. I'll be back soon."

Arthur raised an eyebrow questioningly. "You're going to make me sit here in the snow, collecting piles of it until I wait for you to drag yourself back out here? Couldn't I follow and stand outside?" He huffed.

Alfred laughed nervously, throwing another desperate glance over his shoulder. "Th-that wouldn't work." Besides Arthur could question why, he straightened up with a large grin. "Besides, it'll be a bigger surprise this way. Just wait here. I'll be back soon. C'mon, Artie, trust me!" He took a step backwards, waving his hand for Arthur to just stay there, inched back a couple feet, and turned on his heels to break into a sprint through the forest. His had ached with the lie, but he needed help if he wanted to escape his predicament. He needed to see Lili.

Arthur watched him go with squinted eyes, and soon the taller frame of the man had disappeared into the snow-drenched night. He let out a heavy breath, knowing he'd be stuck out here for a while before the American actually returned. The Brit continued to explore the surrounding forest area; picking at trees, watching bugs crawl for shelter under leaves, and letting the snow fall onto his hand. "I can't remember what cold feels like..." He muttered under his breath, watching as it melted and dripped off his bones. "Or now, for that matter."

He sat delicately on a fallen trunk nearby, his hand supporting his head as he sat in wait. _"It's not a good idea to let him go alone... what if he runs off and escapes?" _A voice echoed within the remains of Arthur's head. He sat up, crinkling his nose at the sound. _"That would be pretty useless, non? After all-."_ Arthur tipped his head over, hitting the side of it until a small, green worm flew onto the bench beside him. The bug clattered onto the bark, and shook itself off, letting the snow fall from his sides.

"Why can't you shut up every once in a while?" Arthur retorted, glaring down at the maggot he had to put up with daily. "I'm not holding him captive like a monster. He was the one who proposed. I don't think he'd have any need to leave."

Francis's chuckle made Arthur's eyebrow twitch in annoyance. "Mon cher, he didn't seem so keen on staying before...don't you think you should look after him?"

"I'm not going to talk to you if you just blabber on about nonsense."

"I'm just watching after you, Arthur."

"I will literally sit on you and walk away, you blasted fool."

"He's not an adult yet. How could he have made up his mi-"

"Alright!" Arthur shouted in return, flipping on the bench so that he was straddling it and facing the worm. "If it would make you feel better, I'll go meet him there, and wait for him to come get me. At least then he wouldn't have to walk so far. He hasn't slept much. He's probably running on excitement. Thinking about it... it's not like he's gotten much food that would do him any good, either..."

Francis's body elegantly slithered up to the blonde's hand, shimmying up until he rested on the back. "For just using him, you sound to care an awful lot, mon lapin."

Arthur's eyes widened, his cheeks puffed out, and he looked away, shaking his hand so the maggot would go flying. "I bloody don't. If he died on me, however, and didn't resurrect, it would cause trouble for me."

"What if he was with a girl? Or another man right this second?" Francis had traveled further up his arm, until he rested on his shoulder, next to his ear, where his taunting words could be heard at an easier range. "Would you care?"

Arthur stood up at that instant, and Francis desperately bit down to keep his place on the coat of the man. "I'm going to find him, fine. You've convinced me." He heard a snickering, which irked him farther. "That doesn't mean I'd care. He can run off with someone else once we wed. I don't care what happens to him."

"What if he actually likes you, Arthur? Don't you think it'd hurt him? To find out, all this time, you were just using his proposal as a way to pass on to the next world? That you didn't really love him?" Francis tsked, leaning in rest against Arthur's neck while the Brit walked in the general direction Alfred had. "Are you going to tell him? Or just disappear the second your marriage is complete?"

Arthur said nothing. He didn't have to. He knew this mysterious little bug could get into his head (quite literally) and toy with his emotions and thoughts with the snap of a finger.

Did he really love Alfred? Did Alfred love him? Bullocks. As if the latter would happen. He had been keeping Alfred, quite possibly held him captive, in the underworld for quite a while. He probably bloody hated him. "He's my fiance, Francis," Arthur finally said after a good amount of time and walking had passed. "Even if he's just an immature kid... that fact is true. I don't think Alfred would desert me like that."

* * *

A blonde teen girl sat at her vanity, eyes closed and bagged, with a light douse of make up covering her face. Her hands were set lightly in her lap. Despite her peaceful appearance, she was stressed beyond belief.

Her new fiance and she were to be wed within the week. She had no time to talk her caretakers and adults out of it. It was to be forced upon her whether she liked it or not. Despite this fact, she hadn't lost hope her love would return. They had met for a fleeting day, however, she honestly felt a connection to her groom.

The cup of tea she had been brought by her brother before was freezing. The cold air had drifted in through holes in the walls and windows, and made her room chilly. Snow splattered against her windows. The entire night was filled to the brim with a dark, cold ache that burned in her bones. Still, she waited for something to happen to liven up the night.

_"Lili!" _

The maiden girl jumped at the sound of her name, accompanied by a light tapping on the glass of her balcony doors. Her eyes soared to the spot, and in surprise, she was overcome with a happiness that made her smile wide. A figure stood out on her patio. But not just any figure.

"Alfred...!" Lili said in pure ecstasy, and practically tripped on her nightgown to get to the doors. Her hands fumbled with the handles for a second, and soon they were ripped open, sending cold air and snow flurrying into her face. Her eyes slammed shut on instinct to protect her, and she put her hands up in slight defense. The snow evaporated but seconds later when the door was shut once more, and she opened her eyes to reveal her room.

The man she had been waiting for stood in front of her. He was much taller, made of a bigger build, and even if he was in a tattered suit and looked under much stress, she was happy to see him. Lili threw her arms around him happily, letting out a string of silent, relieved laughs. Alfred returned the embrace, though their mutual grin was short lived.

"Lili, I want you to listen carefully and quickly, alright?" Alfred said into her ear, drawing back and keeping his hands on her shoulders. Lili glanced up to him, nodding her head in understanding.

"How did you get up here, Alfred?" She asked with confusion, sure a few of the steps in the staircase had been broken ages ago. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Lili, that doesn't matter now, alright?" The worry in his voice did the same to her. She glanced up at his face with beckoning eyes. "Just, listen, please. I want to marry you. Like, really badly. As soon as possible." He shushed her before she could speak. "I'm in a bad place. Something happened. I fear I've accidentally been forced into a marriage with someone.."

Alfred breathed in to continue his words, however, before he could, something from outside the room caught his gaze. He felt his heart stop.

"Alfred?" Lili attempted to look back, but he used his hands to keep her facing him. "Alfred, what's wrong?"

Out the window, a figure was emerging, having climbed up the same way as him, to the balcony. One downed in a coat of black, blonde hair falling messily in front of his face.

"It's nothing. Just, Lili, I need help. I have to go. Get my mum to help you. Tell her.. tell her I'm trapped in the underworld."

"What does that mean?" Lili's eyes were reddening. He could tell it was getting to her. Who else could he turn to, though? Her grip tightened on her hands. "Alfred, I promise I'll help. Don't be worried. Just stay with me. Don't go..."

Arthur was in plain view, as he dusted himself off, and turned his gaze inside the room. His eyes met Alfred's, and he smiled with a cool casualness. Alfred could tell he caught sight of Lili by the way his smile dropped, and his limbs locked in surprise. He opened his mouth to say something, about to enter the room, still holstering mercy towards Alfred until he got an explanation.

However, that turned out to be the moment Lili's hands clutched around Alfred's cheeks, pulling his face down to gaze at hers. He gave her a nervous smile, hardly expecting her to take the next course of action.

Right in front of the dead fiance of Alfred, whom had no clue what was going on, nor a humble mind, who was sure Alfred was completely honest with him...

His other fiance, the sweet and innocent Lili, leaned up and kissed him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Rating: K+  
Warnings: none  
**  
**I'm sorry there's a lot of focus on Lili for the time being. Trust me, next chapter, it's going back to Arthur and Alfred, and the development of their relationships to each other and how they view one another. **

**I'm just trying to add a proper amount, since her situation is important to the story as well. I've tried to confine all of her history and her actions into one chapter, so that there can be more focus on the others. **

**Thanks for continuing to read!**

* * *

Alfred was stunned to say the least, but he melted practically like the snow. Her soft lips were tiny in comparison to his own, but they were loving and worried and made his body slack. His eyes closed lightly, fluttering shut. This was the second kiss he'd had, the first being with a certain corpse who had forced it upon him, in which he couldn't even remember...

Alfred's eyes shot open when he realized who was standing right in front of him. He pulled away, pushing Lili back down by her shoulders until she stood flat on her feet. She looked concerned and worried, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She said something, but Alfred didn't make it out. He was too busy staring at the man behind them.

Arthur's mouth hung agape in disbelief. He had stepped back, his hands up, and eyelids popped open as he stared. Alfred didn't know what to say or do as an explanation. He had to face the music.

"Lili, I promise I'll be back." Alfred said without looking at her, holding her shoulders so she couldn't turn to face behind her. "Trust me. I need you to do a favour. Go to the church. Tell the father what has happened. Tell him I've been married off to a corpse."

Lili's eyes were wide at his comment. "A-A what?"

The doors swung open. Snow and wind flurried into the room. Alfred jumped back, followed by a spinning Lili. She gasped in shock at the figure looming into the room, arms wrapping around herself protectively.

Arthur approached them inside the room, his eyes heavy with anger. He appeared to be much bigger than the short man usually was, and just as terrifying. He seemed to float... or crawl in on shadows. Either was equally scary. It shook Alfred to the bone to know the deception that could have caused this.

The American wanted to run, however, a frozen hand clasped around his and refused to let go. He gulped down his fear, opening his lips to speak, "Arthur, wai-"

_"Butterscotch." _

Alfred sucked in a breath, feeling the world begin to spin around him. A hot smoke began to engulf his body. He felt a draft pulling him through the air, and when his eyes were able to peer through the gusts of winds, he saw Lili towering high above him. He was falling at a rapid speed, seeming as if he was being sucked into the ground straight from her room, despite the fact she was on the second floor. She seemed to be getting father and farther with each passing moment.

"Lili!" He moved his lips to cry out, but the loud, hollering wind drowned him out.

And seconds later, he had lost consciousness.

* * *

Lili couldn't believe it. Her eyes stared at the ground in shock. She stood right at the place Alfred had disappeared with that man. Had that been who he had married? Or was that just a kidnapper?

Either way, she knew she had to help. Alfred had asked her to.

The blonde girl picked up the bottom of her nightgown, worried out of her mind for the other. She didn't know what she could do. She wasn't strong...tough... she knew she wouldn't be much help. But no one else knew what had been going on with her American fiance. There was only one person she could turn to.

Lili picked her way down the stairs, heading to the chamber. Her parents were sure to be there. They always were. She turned the corner, stopping when, indeed, the frames of her parents came into view. "Muder, Vater." She said softly, out of breath. She felt meek in their appearance. "Have you seen Vash? I need to talk to bruder."

"The _servant?"_ Katarine said haughtily. The mention of the boy had always brought an angry red tint to her face, and made her puff up. "He's gone out to fetch my toiletries on an errand. I think you're forgetting our little rule, little swine. You are forbidden from talking to the help."

Lili looked down in shame. She loved her brother. He was the most important person to her in the world. However, since he had been disowned, she hadn't had anyone. He was seen as the young maiden's help. Nothing more. "Yes, muder..."

Berwick glanced at her over his nose, raising an eyebrow out of curiosity. "Well, what were you going to blather on about to him? If it's that important, tell us."

Lili caught her breath. Her parents would think she was mad. But... maybe they would believe her. They'd send Gilbert to go fetch Marion and Richard, and they'd work together to formulate a plan to help Alfred. This could work. If she told them, Vash would be allowed to help. Priest Heracles would come. Alfred would be saved, they would marry, and Lord Ivan would be sent from their estate.

She bit down on her lips for confidence. All it would take were a few words. After all, her parents would have to believe her. "Muder, Vater," She spoke in a soft voice, and wrung her hands on her gown. "Alfred, I know where he's gone."

The adults pulled snide expressions. "And where would that be?" Berwick hissed.

"He's been kidnapped. He's been taken. To the land of the dead. Alfred's been taken and forced to marry a corpse named Arthur...!"

* * *

A rope, a key, and a lamp. Those were the items she had been handed as she'd been gently brushed inside her room. Lili stared at the three items that were laid out in front of her, knowing exactly what she had to do.

Vash had been summoned. Her parents had dubbed her a lunatic. They forced him to lock her in her room, to be confined and disciplined for being a trouble maker. Her brother hadn't been forceful, true, but she was hurt in the moment he hadn't stood up for her. However, once he'd begun suspiciously herding her up to her bedroom, she knew to trust him. He always had a plan.

He closed and locked her door to add a theatrical element to his plan. She had sat patiently waiting for an hour before he returned. When he did, he brought with him a rope about the height of their home, a lamp that was filled to its brim with oil, a match, and a key. What door it led to, she didn't know. The blonde girl was too scared to test it out before her parents had gone to sleep.

She peered up through the windows of her door. In the distance stood the town clock. Its handles read 2300 hours. She had an hour left to prepare for her journey, which she didn't quite know the destination of. All Lili really did know what that Vash had whispered "I'll be in the garden at 0 hours waiting for you. Be safe and careful." Before he had slipped off to complete his assigned tasks for the evening. Other than that, they'd had no contact.

A cold gust poured into her room, leaving her to shake. She glanced outside at the snow. It would be too much trouble going out in her sleepwear. The young maiden stood, and began removing her gown to replace it with something more suitable.

Her thoughts turned to Alfred as she pulled off the fabric. His smile. His laugh. His clumsy way he'd been when she'd met him. The lavender he'd knocked over. A happiness swept over her. She slipped a sweater on over her torso, working on the skirt she had been given for weekend lounging. If she was able to marry Alfred, half of her newly formed dream would be completed. On top of that, she'd bring along Vash, and they'd live as a family. Things wouldn't be quite so complicated. It was a wonderful dream.

Just half-an-hour later, when the mansion was quiet and still, the only sounds being the occasional creak as the house settled for the night, Lili put her plan to work.

The young girl slipped a shawl over top her head and shoulders, and picked up the cold key. It laid flat in her palm, freezing it, though she now needed to find out which door it unlocked.

She first tried her door that led to the hallway. It was no use. The key didn't even fit the lock. Disappointed, but not relenting her hope, she again tried the key, but on the balcony door. It unlocked with a click. Feeling quite happy with the progression, she opened the doors, pulling the cloth from her shawl to protect her mouth and nose from the gusts.

Lili stepped out into the snow, immediately feelings its powerful, icy fingers wrapping around her and squeezing. It was freezing out tonight. Much colder than other nights.

She glanced over the edge of the railing. Her stairs were still destroyed, and many more had been knocked off or crushed. The German couldn't tell if it was the wind that had destroyed parts of it... or her parent's wrath. Either way, she'd need an alternate way to get down. She couldn't trust rickety stairs giving out on her. Which is where the rope behind her came into perspective. It took her a few minutes to tie it to her bedpost, and feed it over the rail, careful to keep it out of the way of a window, just in case. She had tied another knot at the bottom, so when she shimmied down it, it would catch her feet. It was a few feet (or what looked like a few feet) from the ground after tying it, but she figured she could easily drop down off of that. Tied into the knot was the lamp with oil, so she didn't have to try to carry it on her descent.

The moon was bright out tonight, so she doubted she'd even need the lamp in the first place. The rope would lead to the front, left-side of her house. The garden was on the right. It'd take her just a minute to maneuver through the dark and find Vash. Then they'd run off to find Alfred.

Lili swung her leg over the railing, taking in a thick breath. Truthfully, she was a bit scared. She hadn't done this before. But it was simple enough, right? If she just tried? One of her hands released its grip, and grabbed hold of the rope. She slipped her free leg around it. Her body teetered unsteadily, and she clung harder to the rail. The wind felt like it would end up knocking her off. Three story drop? ... That sounded a bit dangerous.

She slipped her other leg slowly until it touched the rope, and wrapped her entire body around it. Her last hand was the only way she was still connected to her room. With a burst of bravery, she let go, and quickly held onto the rope and it wobbled in the wind.

It seemed to support her weight, though she heard a creak come from her bed frame. She needed to be quick, or it could easily come undone and send her flying. Lili began shimmying slowly down the rope, moving a hand, then a leg, then the other leg, then the other arm. She had barely made it a few inches before the wind made the rope shake once more.

"Bruder... I'll be there soon..." She said under her breath, and continued to slip down the rope, careful not to get her skirt caught in her step.

The third floor passed, and soon she was at the bottom of the second floor. Lili made the mistake of glancing up into the window in front of her. There, she came face-to-face with none other than her mother.

She almost made a sound in fright, however, Lili noted it was just Katarine reading through papers on the opposite side of the room. But if she looked up, the blonde would be in plain sight. She had to hurry.

Lili continuously slipped down the rope. She would be at the ground soon. She was already at the top of the first floor. This would be much easier than she expected.

The girl let her foot fall down another couple inches of rope, expecting to find a hold for it to grab onto, releasing her hand to grab farther down. However, her body lurched at the lack of support, and she slipped down a few inches of the rope. Looking down in surprise, she duly noted the lack of rope below her.

There was about a 10 feet drop under her, and she was out of rope.

She turned her eyes back up to her bedroom. It was about a 15 foot climb. She had nearly run out of energy. There was nowhere to go but down. However, letting herself fall freely into a hard, grassy ground sounded quite unappealing.

A gust of wind, and the chill of the snow was making it harder to hold on by the second. After having stopped her moving, her tiredness caught up with her. She clung to the rope desperately, trying to formulate a plan. She could always swing to the wall of the house, and try to slide down to the bottom floor, but she was likely to break something that way.

Another gust of wind made her shiver. The snow gathering and melting on her fingers were causing her to slip. She couldn't keep her grip anymore. Lili's eyes opened wide in fear. "Bruder...!" She called into the howling wind, closing her eyes tightly. "Bruder!"

That was it. Her fingers gave way and she went tumbling down. A scream crept up her throat, but never actually came out. She felt herself descending down at a rapid speed. The wind whistled in her ears. The ground was coming up fast to meet her. Her skin made contact with the surface, and she knew it was all over.

* * *

"Lili." A firm voice spoke softly in her ear. The blonde let her eyes slip open. Up above her was the sky, looking soft and inviting. But nothing on her hurt. Only her chest, as her heart thumped loudly from the adrenaline of the fall. She wasn't dead. "Are you alright?"

Lili sat up, glancing around her in shock. Holding her was none other than Vash, who must have heard her calls and came to find her. Her dress was wrinkled and everywhere, and her hair was a mess, but she was alright.

Vash set her down to her feet, checking over her with a stone face for injuries. When he deemed her fine, he took her hand into his, and set off, walking at a brisk pace. "It took too long for you to reach her. We need to hurry if we're going to make it before sunrise."

The pair walked in silence, not coming across anyone on their way. It took just a few minutes to reach the hill the church was located on. It was nearby, on the outskirts of town. It stood high into the dark night, giving it a terrifying feel. However, after the things the duo had seen over the years, things like this didn't frighten them anymore.

Vash raised his knuckles, and wrapped heavily on the wooden entrance twice. He stepped back next to his sister, and they waited for someone to answer their calls. And waited. And waited more. The boy knocked twice again. Still no answer.

"Bruder, maybe he's sleeping..." Lili said quietly, looking with big eyes across the church. "Should we be bothering him?"

"We must." Vash said simply, and raised his hand to knock once more. The door opened just as his fist went to make contact, and he jumped back in surprise. "Father Heracles."

"Hello Vash..." The brunette priest stood above them, looking down in curiosity at the two young adults who had come at such an hour. It was well past midnight. His moppy brown hair clung to his head, as the snow whipping winds made it stick from the cold. His lazy way of talking was very prominent, as he always seemed to be slower than the rest. "Was there a reason you're... here?"

"Father, Alfred has been taken." Lili piped up from behind her brother, shielding her face but exempting her mouth as to speak. "

He's been married off to a soul of evil."

Father Heracles turned to glance at her. "Evil? What... do you mean?"

"A corpse," She said in slight distress. "Alfred's been married off to someone who's dead. A corpse from the underworld, who has taken him back tonight. We need help... he needs help."

Heracles seemed to think over her words quite carefully. He pondered them for quite a while, until both the siblings were trembling from the cold piercing their bones. And still, he made them wait. They stared at him and huddled up, awaiting his jurisdiction. Surely he'd be willing to help? He couldn't turn them away.

"Yes... I see..." Heracles mumbled after a while. He glanced into the church, seeming to think a while longer. "I see what you mean..." His hazel eyes turned back to them. "I see why... your mother has warned me of you two... I must take you back home... you're delirious..."

"Father, it's true...!" Lili said timidly, quite desperate by now. No one else would be able- nor willing- to save her fiance. "Please, help us. I beg of you."

* * *

And twenty minutes later, both Vash and Lili found themselves in the hands of their parents once more, one locked in her room, and one forced to scrub every inch of the household as punishment for sneaking out.

And no progress towards Alfred's rescue had been made.


	9. Chapter 9

**Rating: T  
Warnings: Language, boy love**

* * *

**I ****know I don't really warn for this on my stories, but I feel like I should. I don't go back on reread my chapters before I post them out of pure laziness- and I'm a failure at any kind of revising or editing- and I don't have a proof reader, nor edtior, who doesn't sit on her lazy butt watching Korean Dramas while feeding me story ideas, so there are bound to be numerous spelling and/or grammar mistakes. Again, sorry about that!**

**This is the chapter that I've been waiting to write for a while, so I'm glad I've finally gotten to. Thanks for still reading along!**

* * *

It took Alfred a while for the world to come back into his view. He had only blacked out a few seconds, but it was long enough for him to be transported back into the room he'd been in before they'd departed.

Michelle still sat at her desk, not paying the least bit of attention to neither Alfred nor Arthur. Taffy had galloped up to the fallen body of the American, sniffing him in curiosity. Alfred felt too groggy and dizzy to move. He would have felt content enough to just lie on the floor and sleep, had he not seen one particular figure darting from the room.

The blonde teen worked to his feet, holding his head to control the spinning. He knew exactly what he had done to cause any rough spots between him and the Brit. He'd lied. Immensely. For all he knew, Arthur might have loved him. Wouldn't that explain why he refused to let him go? But, still, he'd known him for a short while, and that didn't mean some corpse could get possessive over him.

Still... he wanted to straighten things out.

He threw the door open, noting the footsteps he expected to hear had faded out. Taking in a heavy, brave breath, he darted down the steps, plunging himself into utter darkness, and missing quite a few and almost tumbling down. It was too dark to see where they ended. He just had to guess. His adrenaline kept him upright, even when he had missed too many for comfortable running.

"Dammit!" He cursed, hitting a solid wall. He had missed the door by a few inches. Groaning from a mix of the pain and sickness, he pushed through the solid object, and emerged into a blinding light. Alfred shaded his eyes, turning his view in a sweeping circle around him to try to pick out a departing groom. No one seemed to stand out.

He began walking in a random direction, following along a flow of dead people floating along the busy streets of the underground. This was the heart of the very small town the dead ran. It was the busiest. Many different kinds of people lined the roads; Ones missing heads, arms, eyes, hopping along on one leg, you name it. It was easy to tell the cause of death of most people, but some were so mutilated, it was hard to believe they could live, even as a body. It gave Alfred chills.

He hooked a right, just as he had when Arthur had taken him to go drop off Taffy at his home. "Home," as Arthur referred to it, was a room that was buried in a large apartment building on the ground floor. It was pretty simple, from what Alfred had seen, but nice for someone's grave. Better quality than others he'd glanced at.

Alfred froze at an intersection. There were three ways to go. The blue-eyed man couldn't quite remember which way they'd gone in general. He hadn't paid much attention. "Arthur...!" Alfred called out to nothing, hoping he'd get the attention of whom he was looking for. "'Ey, Artie! C'mon, man! I just gotta talk to you!" There was a scuffling down the alleyways, in the direction ahead of Alfred. He closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer that was indeed Arthur, and took off into a slow sprint.

He passed by many things he wished he hadn't. Dead things. But he'd seen so many, he doubted it would affect him. Alfred just kept his eyes trained ahead, and hoped he'd find his fiance soon. "Artie...!" He continuously called out, in hopes he'd soon enough find the man he pursued. What would he even say?

_"Hey, sorry for lying to you. I know you think we were gonna get married but truth is, those vows were for my wife. Not my wife yet, but my fiance. We were gonna get married. I was too scared to tell you, haha! Sorry. Guess I shoulda, huh? Nope. I don't really love you."_

That would be terrible. Alfred slowed his pace. He didn't even know how to confront Arthur in the first place. Would he listen to reason? Arthur did look pretty pissy. Would he try to kill Alfred? Sounded unlikely...

Taffy released yelps behind the American. Alfred slowed down and stopped, throwing a look back to what his dog was barking at. The collection of bones wagged its tail in the direction of an alley way. He slipped back to his companion, and glanced down the same direction. Indeed, on another street across the way, slumped a man dressed in a white suit, heading down the road quickly. Alfred immediately brightened up. He took off running, followed by his puppy.

"Arthur!" Upon hearing the American's voice, the corpse turned. His eyes widened at the sight, though his expression still carried a bitterness. Arthur returned to his walking, head low, and sped up. "Stop running from me. This is getting tiring!"

Alfred turned the corner, coming up right behind the Brit. He shot out his hand, catching that of his fiance. "Hey, just talk to me, would ya?" He groaned, letting out light pants from all the running he'd done. "I have things I need to tell you-"

A sudden sting entered the top of Alfred's hand. He drew back in shock. His blue eyes turned up to match those that glared at him in green. Arthur had slapped his hand away, in quite a violent manner. He wasn't playing games. Alfred's small grin instantly fell.

"Why are you so angry?" Alfred muttered under his breath, eyebrows softening. "I wanna say I'm sorry."

"Piss off," was all Arthur decided to answer with.

"Are you really not going to talk to me? After I just chased you down?"

"..."

"Artie, c'mon. Why would you be angry with-"

Arthur grit his teeth, and his arm raised once more. Alfred nearly flinched under the anticipation of the impact, but the hand never came. Arthur simple held it, trembling for moments, obviously having an inward debate. In the end, he lowered it to his side, and averted his gaze. "Because you're an idiot."

"An idiot?" Alfred laughed uneasily. "That's all you're gonna say?"

Arthur clenched his fists. "An idiot. Who lied to me. Alfred... you cheated on me! You promised me we were doing something important. Something that you were trusting me enough with. But you snuck off to see that _girl_. And you kissed, Alfred. _Right in front of me!"_

"She kissed _me." _

_"But you kissed her back." _

Alfred didn't quite like being insulted that way. He was being accused of cheating, when it wasn't even his damn fault. That was one of the last straws. "It's your fault I'm stuck down here. You dragged me down here! You wouldn't let me leave. I tried to and... and you just chased me down. Maybe if you'd stopped and asked how I felt, I wouldn't have tried to run away!"

Arthur seemed a bit taken aback, as well as insulted. His eyebrows furrowed. "I think you're forgetting _you_ proposed to _me._"

"It was an accident!" Alfred mumbled in return, His blood was already boiling. He needed to let out his frustration from the past couple days. He added a slight humorous tone to his words, inserting a nervous laugh at the end. "A complete accident. Nothing more, nothing less. I... I'd never marry you!"

Alfred regretted his words right away. Arthur stepped back in a silent gasp. His eyes widened in surprise at his words. For reasons Alfred didn't quite know, it probably hurt Arthur a lot more than he showed. The Brit gaped at him in shock for just seconds. He closed his mouth, and realized exactly what Alfred had said just moments later. Gathering his bearings, he turned from Alfred, staring holes into the ground. "If that's how you feel, fine." Arthur grabbed something in his hand, and chucked it at the ground. A golden ring went rolling past Alfred into the bushes. "Run off to your golden Lili. It was a mistake. If the situation was different... even if you were begging... I'd never marry you either. I don't know why I would think I would from the start. Have a nice life with her. I hope she's a good wife."

"A-Arthur!" Alfred shouted back when the shorter man had taken off back in another direction. He turned a corner, obviously heading back towards his home. The American boy bit his lip. He had said the unforgivable... and Arthur had said it right back. So surely. Maybe he was right... he needed to go back. Right?

Alfred glanced towards the dead branch the ring had rolled under. It was bought for Lili, yet... it now belonged to Arthur. The Arthur who'd kept him captive here. The Arthur who'd forced him to stay and run away from his wedding and family. The jealous corpse with odd friends who seemed to despise him.

The Arthur with the bushy brows that furrowed when he got frustrated. The Arthur who got embarrassed easily but tried to hide it. The Arthur who had reunited him with his dog, and had shown him not to fear death. The Arthur he had proposed to... which might not have been such a bad thing.

Did he really have to hurry back?

* * *

Arthur's lungs were on fire when he'd stopped running. He was out of shape. Had he ever really been in shape? The slight chub on his stomach proved not. As well as how hard his heart thumped after running just a block or two. The Brit slumped against the door, leaning his head down to catch his breath. He felt his eyes sting. He had begun to recall the conversation. He had begun to realize the pain of what he'd said. His blood flowed through his veins and heated up his limbs, and set fire to his brain.

That's what he would have felt like...if he'd actually still been able to feel.

Instead, Arthur simply slowed down from his sprint, and slipped inside his home. The door was bolted behind him. He did indeed slump against the door, his back resting against it heavily, however, this was from the emotional trauma he'd just caused himself, rather than any achy tiredness he'd felt.

Arthur hadn't been able to feel anything for years. He knew this. It had been a little over 7 years since he'd been murdered brutally. 7 years since he'd last felt a flake of snow grace his nose, chilling it all throughout. 7 years since he'd felt adrenaline pump through his veins. 7 years since he'd run out of breath. 7 years since he'd felt any kind of pain. Now, he really was just a giant lump of flesh.

The blonde ran a hand through his hair, brushing out dirt and other grass particles that often collected there from the ground. He sucked in a loud breath, though he didn't need it. It just calmed him. It was more of a hobby than necessity. It made him feel more human.

Arthur let himself fall onto the bed on the other side of the room, as he curled up onto the corner. His legs were pulled in to tuck under him. His arms wrapped around himself. He felt more secure by himself. Having others see him like this would be disgracing, even now.

"Are you alright?" Arthur didn't react to the voice. Of course they'd be here. "What happened? I haven't seen you like this in a while, Arthur." Just as expected, a black spider webbed its way down from the ceiling, perching just about eye level with Arthur. She swung on the string, concern lining her face. "Where's Alfred gone off to?"

"Maybe it's best not to ask that, dear Liz." Came the wispy reply. Out popped none other than the Frenchman(Frenchworm?) himself, crawling out from the depths of Arthur's clothing. Still, the emerald eyed man paid no attention to either, staring off at a point in space while ignoring them both. "I don't think he'd like to explain it once more, hmm?"

"Then you can," Elizaveta replied haughtily, a demanding tone in her words. "Come on. I don't have all day."

Francis, minding that it would be painful to explain in front of a possibly broken-hearted Brit, inched his way over to the spider, careful not to get too close in fear of her violent side. Whispered words such as "amour," and other various French phrases were caught by Arthur, but blocked out. He didn't need these two on his case.

"Oh, Arthur..." Elizaveta's voice was doting as she crawled over to seat next to the man. Arthur turned his eyes from him, shifting as to face away. Of course, this didn't stop her. "I'm so sorry. He's quite the fool for letting you go."

"No, he was right," Arthur said without much emotion. "She's better for him."

Francis slipped onto the other shoulder of the Englishman. "What does that pesky little brat have that you don't have double?" He huffed.

Elizaveta chimed in with a, "She can't hold a candle to the beauty of your smile," putting off Arthur at the synonym she decided to pick.

"How about a pulse?" He argued back half-heartedly.

Francis shook his head, raising an eyebrow. "Overrated by a mile. Overbearing. Overblown."

Elizaveta's voice was comforting, though her mischievous tones never left. "If only Alfred could see how special you can be. If he only knew the you that we know. And that silly little girl wasn't wearing his ring."

Arthur's eyes shut in annoyance. Despite the attempts of the other two, he was feeling worse by the second. He stood quickly, and stomped over to the table nearby to sit at the chair there, followed by none other than the two insects and both his friends. "But she still breathes air."

Francis chuckled at his reasoning. "Who cares? That's overrated, mon cher. The only redeeming feature of that young girl is that she's still alive. It's just a temporary state, cured very quickly when we meet our fate, non?"

The Brit's chair screeched as it scraped on the wooden floor. He turned from facing him, instead deciding to take interest in the nearby window. Outside it was dreary, just like everyday. It was lonely. Arthur, for the first time in quite a while, felt a loneliness taking over his chest he hadn't felt in a very long time. "If I touch a burning candle, I can feel no pain..." He mumbled to himself, his hands squeezing around his knees as he spoke. "I can't feel the pain of being cut by a knife. And... her heart's beating. I'm dead." His eyes shut tightly. He almost laughed, at the irony of it all. He'd fallen for someone who was still alive. It was bound to happen, in the end. He should have expected it. "Yet, you can't tell me the dead can't feel pain. Even if it may be confined to their emotions. It seems a corpse may still have a few tears left within them."

The Brit sat, staring out the window for minutes. He couldn't bring himself to move. He frankly didn't want to. He wouldn't be able to sleep himself out of a slump. It just had to wear off naturally.

Arthur brushed off the web that hung around his face, along with forcing the Spider and Worm that hung at his sides to abandon their spots and avoid his swing. They stared quite guiltily at the man. They'd been unable to comfort him.

"I suppose I'll just find someone different," Arthur laughed ruefully to himself. "I shouldn't have gotten attached This was just for the purpose of moving on to the next world. Once I marry... I'll have completed my wish... and I'll be able to continue on. I won't be tied here anymore."

"We'll try again tomorrow..." Elizaveta whispered to Francis. With a nod, the duo split up and went about their own business, leaving Arthur to think over the previous events and feel a new aching that hadn't been around for quite a while.

* * *

"I'm coming!" Arthur pushed a grouping of dried leaves into the corner of his house with the top of his shoe. He'd fix them later. He needed to do quite a cleaning around here, actually. The place was quite dusty. If Arthur had any kind of hobby to preoccupy his time, it was constantly decorating and redesigning his and other people's homes. It was quite a fun activity. He enjoyed it. "Would you stop knocking?" He groaned irritably.

The door to the home was banged on once more. Whomever was out there was impatient. Maybe it was the Norwegian fellow. He'd been around a few times before, just to stop and greet him. They'd practiced magic and attempted a few of Michelle's methods before. It was rare for him to come by, however.

Arthur fixed his jacket, brushing off any marks he could from its fabric. He was a gentleman, breathing or not. He needed to maintain his manners, despite his company.

The door swept open easily under his grip. Arthur opened his lips to say a morning greeting.

..And shut them once more when he noticed who was standing before him.

"Arthur..." Alfred said with a light breath and a shaky smile. He seemed nervous. More nervous than Arthur would expect him to be just saying hello. "Hey... thanks for answering. I was scared you wouldn't."

Arthur's eyebrow twitched with each of his words. Every shuffle of his feet. Every eye dart he threw while he waited anxiously for Arthur to respond.

"I brought you something." He said, and held up a bouquet of dead flowers that had been picked outside. Arthur eyed them with the eye of a critic. He decided to end Alfred's torture and react, just as the American was waiting for.

So he stepped back and slammed the door shut without so much as a word.

* * *

**I'd just like to say that, the odd wording between Arthur, Francis, and Elizaveta earlier was me trying to incorporate "Tears To Shed" from the movie, without having them just break into song. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: Boy love, corpses, a failed attempt at writing piano**

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**Sorry for the piano scene later on. I really tried... but it didn't turn out so well. That's what you get for writing at 3 am. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter~ I'm already writing the next one.**

* * *

Alfred had quickly grown tired of being the only one in this dead world to fall asleep at some point. After all, having a bunch of the dead wandering around and staring at you while you slept was kinda odd. He thought about trying to rent out a room or something for sleeping, but when corpses had no need to clean irritants out of the spaces, he doubted it'd be clean. So, instead, the teen decided to hull up on a bench on the same street Arthur had left him and rest.

The next time he'd waken up, streaks of sunlight shone from the sky dankly and were quickly vanishing, and he realized he'd slept an entire day. After only actually resting once before in the span of the days he'd been here, it made sense, but, still, was rather unexpected. It had already passed from night-to-night.

Alfred sat up on the metal frame, stretching his arms above his head and groaning at the ache in his back. He felt like he'd just risen from his coffin. The American sat back in the space, trying to recall how he'd ended up in such an odd place, anyways.

Then his fight with Arthur came flooding back into his mind.

"Dammit..." He groaned, holding his head in his hands. Alfred felt guilt spreading through his chest. He had been pretty rude just the other day, and he was sure, after Arthur not hearing him from a day, and the groom nor seeking him out, he wasn't going to be forgiven.

Alfred forced himself to stand, his legs wobbly from their lack of use. He peered around the dank light of the underground city. Everything seemed twice as eerie and lifeless as normal without the light beaming on it.

He knew he needed to go see Arthur.

* * *

However, Arthur did not want to see him.

Alfred slumped against the door, letting his back press against it until it supported his weight. He had waited until early morning to show up, quite used to the patterns and times it was polite for typical humans.

Still, that hadn't proved to lessen Arthur's anger any more than he'd expected. The corpse had still slammed the door in his face when he tried to apologize. Of course, that wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

Alfred waited for hours. He simply sat alone, listening to the sounds on the inside of the home, hoping Arthur would take pity on him and let him come outside, or discover him and realize how sorry he truly was.

He began dozing off, after being antsy and shifting for hours as he waited. He was on the verge of falling asleep when a haunting melody began echoing in his ears from somewhere off in the distance.

Alfred jumped upon hearing it, perking up at the sound. He could recognize the beautiful instrument the second he'd heard it. A piano. A beautiful piano that sounded quite like the one he played constantly back home.

Piano was his one passion he'd picked up as a child. He loved it. Hearing it in his situation was like seeing the ray of sunshine in the dark. The American twisted where he was, placing an ear against the door behind him to listen closer. Indeed, it was coming from the home in which Arthur resided.

Alfred bounced to his feet, eager to see the source of the sound and listen closer. His hand went to grab the handle, when his arm slacked. Arthur was still angry with him. How would he feel if Alfred suddenly bounded into the room and watched him? He'd probably be scolded harshly.

However, that didn't stop him. He pushed through the door, stopping when the room came into view. It was quite like how he remembered from a few days ago. Nothing had been pushed out of place.

In the middle of the far wall stood a piano, occupied by a man in white. He didn't even look up, despite the sound Alfred made when he entered. Instead, Arthur continued on with his playing, not giving any heed to the fact he recognized Alfred had entered.

The sandy blond slipped into the room, inching up behind Arthur and peering over his shoulder. It was a very simple tune Arthur played. Something he didn't recognize, but still all so beautiful. It was in the higher keys, and the pure sound of it made him shiver. It gave the unexplainable sadness all minor songs could.

Arthur's played one last note before he stopped altogether. His head shifted to face the other way of Alfred, as he looked off to the side and avoided eye contact.

"Don't stop," Alfred said with a slight excitement in his voice. "It sounded... cool. I like listening." He grinned in response, and stepped back to give the dead man room. He watched as Arthur generally relaxed, and returned his fingers to the keys. He played a few soft notes, and picked back up in his tune again rather quickly.

Alfred took the opportunity to tip-toe up to the bench, and sit down beside him. Arthur tensed and avoided any kind of recognition, scooting off to the far side of the bench. The American did the same, hoping to give Arthur the free space he wanted, while still edging him into the comfortableness of having them next to one another.

Listening to the soft tune of the piano, Alfred attempted to play a note or two in harmony to his song. Arthur would tense up, and refuse to acknowledge he'd made a sound.

Arthur played a single score of keys in his higher range. The pause he took before his next measure was prime for Alfred. He mimicked the exact keys he'd played in the lower range. The second he had, Arthur had turned a bitter expression to the American. Alfred flinched and drew back his hand, smiling uneasily.

The Brit began playing a haunting tune once more, only making it a measure before Alfred, once again, decided to copy his song with both hands, making his playing louder and more confidently than before. Arthur didn't react much this time, though he still looked peeved, as he finished off the song with heavy hands.

Alfred watched him for a few moments, wanting to speak, but not knowing what to say. A phrase that his mother had said quite a few times sparked in his mind. _"Music speaks better than words."_ Seeing Arthur hold himself hunched over the piano was enough to get Alfred to try.

And so he did. The tanned man pressed his fingers lightly and quickly on the keys, flitting across his half of the piano in a fleeting song. His hands danced across the piano, creating a more uplifting tune than before. He finished with an extended chord, and turned his chin over to face Arthur expectantly. The groom said nothing, propping his chin on a fist and looking off the other way.

He continued on the song, half-notes and melodies floating into the air around them and slowly heating it up. Again, when he finished his tune, he glanced at Arthur in wait of him returning or mimicking his song just as he had. There was still no response.

Alfred sighed, breathing in a light breath that he felt in his sinus cavities. He began playing a steady, low rhythm as a base, starting slowly at first, and speeding up as the measures went on. Arthur slipped back in the seat until he faced front. The American man only caught a glance of him rolling his eyes before he noted, quite happily, Arthur was setting his hands onto the keys in preparation of what he hoped to be playing.

Arthur began playing a quick grouping of chords, joining in as to combat Alfred's grouping of flitting notes. Alfred turned to smile at the man next to him, just to see Arthur turning towards him with the ghost of a competitive smirk.

Their songs turned into a happy race, both keeping pace with one another, and shifting keys as they played. They never once lost eye contact, grin soon spreading onto both of their lips happily. Alfred slipped in closer, transitioning his keys until he played in the range close enough to Arthur that they could touch arms.

Alfred's elbow bumped into Arthur's, hesitating both their notes for seconds. They both jumped in quickly once more, though the emerald-eyed player turned a spiteful scowl over towards Alfred. His foot kicked at the American's. Alfred leaned against him until they were both tipping over. Arthur yelped out, whacking at Alfred until he let up and they both sat upright. Arthur gasped for air, having had his lungs crushed, and played more fiercely as to one-up Alfred's silly antics.

Alfred laughed in utter joy. It was quite amusing to think of the change Arthur had had just after playing together for minutes. Maybe hearts really did connect through music. Arthur seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit to. His blue eyes flashed to Arthur, lighting up when he saw the genuinely happy smile on his face.

It turned to sudden shock, however, when his hand started playing by itself_. Literally by itself. _

Arthur's music shut down with a sour note, and he stared in horror as his hand began skipping up and down the keyboard, leading up to Alfred's arm. Alfred tensed himself, the hand begin playing up his arm until it reached his shoulder. Once their, it continued to dance around, acting as if it was still touching notes. Alfred couldn't help but chuckle at the ashamed expression on Arthur's face, as he grabbed the bones. He took Arthur's wrist, and lightly connected the hand back on, listening as a click sounded and the corpse could move his hand again.

"S-Sorry," Arthur stammered out, slamming both his hands into his lap. He refused to look up in clear embarrassment. "Pardon my enthusiasm..."

Alfred grinned, holding the other's hand in his own. "I like your enthusiasm."

The two basked in the cold silence of the room. Neither made an attempt to talk. There was too many thoughts of lost forgiveness and apologies they wanted to get out.

"Hey, Artie.." Alfred squeezed the hand in his, and gazed into the inquisitive eyes of the shorter one. "I'm really sorry. For lying to you about wanting to see my parents. It's just... this week hasn't exactly gone according to plan, y'know? I've just been pretty confused."

Arthur smiled sweetly, though there were still the hints of hurt in his eyes. It was obvious the blonde felt pretty betrayed, which Alfred knew was all his fault. The man had trusted him, and he'd ruined that. "I shouldn't have kept you hostage either, love." He said tenderly. His face suddenly fell, and he drew back until he sat without contact. He coughed in sudden discomfort, and slipped his hands into his lap. "R...Rather, I should have let you do as you wish. It was wrong of me to force this on you." He said quieter.

Alfred watched him in confusion. It was almost humorous how bipolar Arthur could be. One moment he'd be doting on you, the next he'd be sitting on the other side of the room and staring in horror. Just another funny quirk about him. "I should probably explain it though."

"Don't force yourself," Arthur muttered.

"Nah, it's fine. I should be honest with my fiance." Alfred's words clearly made Arthur perk up, who sat up and looked at him in hidden shock. Alfred beamed in return, and shifted until he straddled the bench to face the other. "So, you know... Lili and I were engaged, but it was an arranged marriage. I just... the day I met her, I thought I had fallen in love, y'know?" Before Arthur's shoulders could sag, Alfred continued. "But I don't think I did. Lili's special to me, sure, but... maybe it's just an adoration. When she kissed me... nothing clicked. That's how you always hear you love someone. When you kiss them, you're supposed to hear crackles in your ears, and see fireworks fly, right?"

"Childish thinking," Arthur huffed, but let him go on.

"Yeah.. I know. But I didn't feel that with her. Maybe it was utter terror or something. I just... I don't think Lili's the one for me," Alfred pulled himself forward until his knees brushed Arthur's side, and they were close. Arthur's eyes widened in surprise, but being on the edge of the bench, he had nowhere to go. "Those vows... they were for her. I admit it. I was practicing them because I was scared to get married to her. I messed up. I even set her mom on fire at our rehearsal" Alfred cracked a grin, watching Arthur's eyes roll. "But I don't think I want to use those vows on her anymore... I've had three days to think it over. If seeing her means I don't get to duet with you on this piano." Alfred placed his hand on the other's thigh. "Then I'll choose to stay down here."

*Alfred..." Arthur clenched his jaw, his eyes softening. "I can't ask you to do that."

"I wanna, Arthur."

"...I've been thinking as well," The Englishman said softly in return. "And I-."

His words came out as nothing more than a screaming bell. The two covered their ears simultaneously Alfred stared up into a red light that flashed in the room, coating it all in a blanket of red. He looked questioningly at his British partner, only to see him laugh and mouth the words "Follow me." Alfred stood as he was told, and the two slipped out of the home.

* * *

They both walked in silence, letting the ringing in their heads die down. The alarm was nearly silent out here, as they seemed to only be going off in the buildings. The chill of the underground bit into Alfred's nose and mouth. He rubbed at them, trying to make the redness disappear.

"What exactly was that?" Alfred's voice was nasally as he was still holding his nose. He blinked and laughed, letting his hands fall to his sides. "And where are we going?"

"Since you can't have any patience, it seems, there's a party. The alarm is a signal for everyone to head to the pub."

"Why's it so loud though?"

Arthur smirked and pointed at the undead hopping in the same direction as them both. "Half of them are missing their ears or heads altogether. Making it loud and obvious is the only way to get people's attention."

Alfred nodded in understanding. "Makes sense... but..."

"But?"

"What's the party for?"

Arthur shrugged in response, lazily walking ahead of Alfred by a few steps. It was kinda funny. For every step Alfred took, his shorter companion had to take two to compensate. The pace had kinda sped him up. "Probably a newcomer. You had one as well... you just slept through it like a dunce."

Alfred scoffed and lightly pushed Arthur's shoulder. The other laughed back teasingly, pushing him back, and soon it had turned into a war of running down the streets and bumping into one another. Alfred's stamina and Arthur never growing tired proved to make it last forever.

Which was perfectly fine, as the two were pleased with the fun they were having.


	11. Chapter 11

**Rating: T  
Warning: Boys love, character death **

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**I decided, when planning this story, that I would add in family from Alfred's side into the story, as to give more point of view and a reaction. I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's really happy and fluffy. **

* * *

Alfred had finally realized the fact that death could come to anyone he knew at any time. He had stared into the face of death multiple times over the time he'd spent in the world of the dead, but never in a familiar one. But, here the person was, with their mile-wide, trademark smirk, seeming more alive than ever. His skin was pale, sure, but the happy twinkle in his eyes proved to show just how great he felt now.

"You gotta try this someday," Gilbert placed his hands on the small of his back, bending until a crack was heard in his spine. "I feel better than ever! My chest is totally cleared, I don't have my cough anymore, and I can move better than I did when I was a kid."

Alfred couldn't help his smile. It was nice to see someone he'd known for a long time cured of his disease which had plagued him for years. Still, it was eerie to see him, of all things..._ dead._ "So... how did you go? Peacefully? In your sleep?"

"Nah," Gilbert cracked a mischievous grin. "Passed out when I was driving your parents. Guess I got run over. I wonder when they actually found me." Gilbert opened his lips once more to continue on his cheerful obituary, however, a sudden realization passed over his features. "So, did you and Lili not go through with your marriage?"

Alfred winced at the question, the topic still pretty fresh to him. "Ah... nah. I... I actually got stuck in a situation here." His grin was forced, and he glanced over his shoulder. The sight of a laughing Arthur was enough to pick him back up.

"I wondered why you hadn't shown up," The Albino mumbled on. "I won't ask. Lili's new fiance is pretty freaky, though."

Alfred, who hadn't been paying much attention, stiffened. "New fiance?"

"Ja, Lord Ivan. He came in to town a few weeks back. Her parents have begun planning a new wedding. You didn't know?" Gilbert shrugged, hands up by his ears. "Sorry. Probably should have told you better."

Alfred's face contorted to confusion. "Weeks? I've only been gone around 7 days."

"Alfred... you've been gone about a month..." Gilbert raised a brow towards the stunned man in front of him. "Is it harder to tell time down here? Seems like it would be." He bit his lip awkwardly, clasping a hand on the taller male's shoulder. Lightening the mood was something he really wanted to do. The perfect idea popped into his head. "Hey, I got a surprise for you. I found it earlier when I first got here. I'll be right back. Hang tight."

Alfred watched him jog off- something Gilbert hadn't done in all the time the American had known him- and disappear behind a curtain, most likely heading into a back room. He turned a questioning look to the nearby Arthur, who simply grinned back in confusion and shrugged his shoulders.

Alfred had grown restless by the time any indication Gilbert was returning had reached him. The curtain from before shifted. He stared rather intently at it, watching a woman pushed through the doorway, lugging a tray of beers. The American sighed heavily, wanting the other to return already.

Another few minutes passed. Alfred nearly swept his way into the room, however, a sign came at just the right moment. The fabric was drawn back once more, and this time, indeed, came the figure of his Albino driver. However, he wasn't alone.

The body of someone, draped in a tattered, white robe, with hair down to their chin and eyes that were covered by a hand had been settled in his arms. As Gilbert walked closer, the small body resembled a child. And even closer, it resembled a child that looked quite a bit like Alfred.

Alfred had to hold in his shocked gasp. His eyes were wide. He looked back and forth between Gilbert, and the one he held. He couldn't move. It was like seeing a ghost. Hell, he _was_ seeing a ghost.

Gilbert stopped when he had gotten close enough to the frozen teen. He cackled triumphantly at the other's level of surprise, and squatted until he was close enough to the ground to set the body in a sitting position.

"Eh? Gil, what happened? Can I open my eyes yet?" The small child asked. His voice was weak and soft, but stronger than Alfred had ever remembered it. He sucked in his emotions, and kneeled next to the kid, and placed his much bigger hand upon the others. Matthew stirred to the pressure on his hand, shifting until he faced the one at his side. "Is that you? Can I look?"

"Not yet," The Prussian said in his loud voice, overpowering the teensy sound. "Just listen for a sec, 'kay? I... I think you know what this is about already." Something in his voice caused Matthew to tense, but relax in seconds. His aura visibly changed from confused to some other kind of... remorse, maybe? But also expectancy.

Alfred's eyes trailed over the body of this boy. Starting with his feet, he duly noted the warped shape they were in from years and years of lack of use. The legs were thin and boney, with holes in the skin from the time it spent rotting down here. The robe, which had been sewn to bigger sizes and reconstructed over the years was stained and smelled foul... not that it mattered to the dead. The small hands of the boy were clutching onto the floor, waiting for the time he could finally view what he had come here to see. His head was craned, a hand placed over his eyes and forehead to block his sight. His floppy blonde hair was lazy at the sides of his head, and his familiar curl drooped next to his cheek.

Matthew, Alfred's little brother, who would be 15 today, had he not passed away at the tender age of 10, sat trembling at the feet of his sibling. The American boy squeezed gently at Matthew's hand, his throat clenching. "M-Mattie?"

The other perked up. His head turned in the direction of the one who had spoken. "You're not Gilbert, are you?" His voice was hoarse, and airy with a gasp. "No. No... Al...? Is that you?"

"Yeah." Alfred's voice cracked while he spoke, and an unseen beam had made its way onto his face. "Yeah, Matt, it's me."

Matthew's arms reached out tenderly towards the direction of the voice. Alfred's hands swung out to connect with his sides, and he drew him into a long embrace. He was practically choking on his own words as he failed to speak coherently. "Mattie... love you.. sorry..."

The Canadian brother was having just as much trouble with his speaking. It came out garbled and soaked with his own tears. In the end, he gave up on trying to make sense, and simply clung to Alfred. Their breath mixed with one another, both finding it hard to get any kind of reaction across, despite their insistent grasping.

The corpses had gathered in quite a crowd, witnessing the reunion of the two that they'd overlooked before. All they really saw were two bodies pulling at one another to hug tighter and never let go, both unable to form a sentence to save their life, but the meaning of happiness hung in the air. Some had to turn away. Some simply lost interest and wandered off. But Arthur and Gilbert stayed firm, both feeling a joy for the two they couldn't explain.

"Arthur..." Alfred managed to speak, and drew away from the hug with a cracking grin. "This is Matt. My younger brother. Matt, this is Artie."

The blindfolded one let his hand wander up in front of him, as he waved his greetings. "Arthur, I've heard of you. There's so many songs about you. I've been listening to them since I got here." His voice was welcoming with every word. "Were you the one watching Al? I heard there was someone named Alfred who'd come along but... ha... I'd never have thought it was my brother!"

Alfred's fingers rubbed at the flaking skin of his brother's cheek. His heart was flipping. Though he was incredibly saddened to see the one he'd lost years ago in such a poor state, he couldn't even begin to put into words his feelings towards seeing Mattie once more.

"How have you been, Matt?" Alfred asked with a content sigh. Matthew's skin felt much different than he remembered, but the pure thought that this could be his younger brother was enough to make him happy. "Has... this place been treating you alright?"

Matthew nodded with a smile, tilting his head in the young way he'd never outgrown. "It's been fine. I've met quite a bit of people. Actually, the first one I met was this girl named Michelle! She's really sweet."

Alfred brushed off a piece of dirt from the younger one's nose. It was odd. Odd seeing him. Odd hearing his voice. Odd seeing how he'd mentally matured over the years. He wasn't the same, innocent 10 year old. Not only had he faced death, but he'd lived it. Probably met the weeping dead hundreds of times. He could only imagine what the younger boy had been through.

The blue-eyed man thought back to the day he'd met his brother for the first time. How soft and warm and small he was. He'd been the result of his mother's secret affair with a Canadian man. Alfred had walked in on the two kissing once when he was young. He'd been told, Grace had promised to him it'd never happen again, Matthew was born and passed off as Richard's son, and the whole ordeal had been behind them.

Alfred doubted his sibling actually knew the truth.

"Gilbert... can I look now?" Spoke the young boy. He sounded quieter than before, but Alfred brushed it off as his habit of speaking softly. His words still put him off. Look? At what? Now that he realized it, Gilbert's hand had been securely over his eyes this entire time. But why would he need to?

Gilbert's smile fell, his hands visibly clenched. Alfred frowned, glancing up towards the white-haired man as a question to why he couldn't. "Matthew... you sure you don't want more time? You know... you know what'll happen right?" Alfred's eyebrows knit. This secrecy was bugging him. It was his own brother.

Matthew paused. "Yeah. I do. But... I don't want to wait. I could sit here for house listening to Alfred's voice. I want..." His voice trailed off, and he didn't pick back up his second. He gulped hard, sucking in a breath through his nose, and releasing it through his mouth. It seemed almost as if he was preparing himself for something... but what?

The older driver's face shrunk. He hesitated, before bringing his hands off of the closed eyes of the child and stepping back. Alfred sucked in a thick breath. "Hey, there, Mattie." The corner of his mouth turned up.

Matthew's next move was something Alfred never expected. His violet eyes fluttered once, and then finally opened. His pupils dilated as they adjusted to the light, and soon trained on the older teen. The second they had, a huge smile spread across his face. "Al. You look older. A lot older!"

Alfred never answered. His eyes were trained on Matthew's. His mouth hung agape. "Matt."

"Yeah?"

"Do you actually know what I look like?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"But, Mattie..."

"What?"

"Matt," Alfred's voice was stern. "You're blind."

Matthew laughed, his hands placing themselves on the other's shoulders as he stared over his features. Each and every one of them. "And you're not dead." He smiled warmly, but the other was still in a serious mood. "Al.. I _was_ blind. My eyes are perfectly fine. See?" His hand pulled down the skin of his cheek, revealing an intact eyeball. "My eyes weren't hurt. But... when I came down here, I could... I saw. For the first time, Al! I saw something!"

His voice got breathy once more as he began to choke up. His face was laced with oncoming sadness, though his smile never perished. "I'm still paralyzed. I haven't walked since that day. Remember? When I ran away... and I couldn't see where I was going. When I fell into that ditch... But, that's fine. Because I've gotten to see. To explore things. I learned colours, and I got to see what the alphabet and numbers looked like." His finger drew a straight line down in the air. "That's numeral 1." He drew two straight lines down, connecting them with a horizontal line above them. "That's 2. I finally learned something."

The Canadian clung harder onto Alfred's shoulders. Dusty tears began slipping from his eyes, chilling Alfred to the bone. "Matt, are you okay-"

"Don't talk for a second, okay?" Matthew pleaded. His grip was loosening by the second. "I wanna say all that I can while I can." Alfred looked distraught but stayed quiet. "Alfred, you look like an adult. Much older than you did when we were kids. I'm so glad I get to say an actual goodbye. When I was still 10, well I guess I still technically am, we never did get a proper farewell. The small pox got me, I guess."

Alfred scowled, gripping onto Matthew's delicate wrist. "Goodbye? We don't have to say goodbye now. You're here, aren't you?"

Matthew's happiness never left his face, even after a sob brushed past his lips. He cupped his mouth with a free hand to calm himself down, continuing to speak as he began shaking even more than before. "Not for long. My wishes were completed, Al. I'm moving on. I'm done! I don't have to be stuck down here anymore. I can continue on to the next world!"

Alfred's chest pounded with panic. He threw his arms around the slacking child, squeezing him tightly against him. "Matt, you don't have to go...! You can stay here and... and I'll stay here, too! With you. We can be a family and... we can live with Gilbert. And Arthur." At the mentioning of the Brit, he glanced up with a broken grin towards the blonde. "Look, that's Arthur! He's kind of a drag... but he's a nice drag. A real stick in the mud. But... but he's really cool and you'll love him. He can show you how to play piano, and us three can all play together." Arthur swallowed and said nothing. His eyes were already mournful. Alfred could only watch as he tried to avoid showing any sort of signs he was upset.

He turned back to face the young child. Matthew's body was limp. A pile of ashes had begun collecting underneath him. Upon further inspection, Alfred could tell they were the body parts of his brother shedding to the ground. He felt his ability to breathe vanish from his body. "Matthew, you have to have a lot more wishes! We can do stuff you never did before just..." Alfred felt his eyes sting. His vision was blurry. Seeing the wet spot on his brother's shirt showed he'd been crying for longer than he knew.

"I only had one.." Matthew whispered up to the teen. His eyes slowly worked their way shut. "I'm tired, Al. Really tired. I've been waiting for years to see you again. I'd wait for years more." His legs had already vanished into a pile of black flakes. "I only had one thing I wanted to do..."

"What was it?" Alfred managed to breathe out, though he couldn't help himself but to be overcome by his tears and labored breathing.

Matthew smiled, and his last words left his lips with the wind. "I wanted to see your face for the first time."

Alfred's hands suddenly lost a great deal of weight. The body in his grip vanished. In its place was a pile of dust that stretched from Alfred's hands to the feet of the nearby Gilbert. Alfred's lips moved without a voice, and his head spun in sudden realization. "...Matt?" He stared in horror at the empty space under him. "M-Matt? You're still here, right?" It wasn't going to happen. Not to Matt. He couldn't just disintegrate like that... into nothing more than leftovers.

He looked from hand to hand, the ashes resting on his palms. He turned over his hands, hoping to see he'd somehow missed something. The powder fell to the ground, joining the rest of the pile.

"Matt, c'mon, man. You're still here, I know it!" Alfred laughed in disbelief, and he began pawing the dirt. "S-stop with this. I just got you back. You didn't leave." His efforts were fruitless, and in a fit, he began digging through the pile with a quicker intensity His voice turned to desperation, rising in intensity. "Mattie! Mattie, you weren't' supposed to go yet! You didn't leave, I know you didn't!"

Gilbert shifted uncomfortably behind him. "Alfred..."

"Matthew!" He cried out and hit the ground with his fists, the wood splintering and shooting into his skin. Alfred repeated this until his hands were bloodied and filled with the blackness under him. "You can't be serious! I never even... I didn't get to say goodbye!"

Alfred whipped his head around when a hand was placed gently on his shoulder. Arthur stood behind him, his mouth open and eyes full of worry. "He's gone..." He said under his breath, and fell to the ground until he was able to hug his fiance. "Alfred, he's gone. He's moved on. He accepted his death."

"N-No, he's not. You're wrong, Arthur. You saw him. He looked so much better and happier than he did before. He can't be dead."

Arthur was unable to answer. He squeezed his eyes shut. Alfred took his silence as the proof his brother wasn't returning.

Alfred's wails started softly and silently, and gradually increased as he realized the truth. One name rolled off his tongue over-and-over in agony as he had just lost his brother twice.

The Brit held him for an hour, waiting until he had calmed down and turned to hyperventilating breaths. And even after he'd turned into a silent mess, who refused to look at anyone and had curled up with his head in Arthur's lap, he still kept his arms around the other, whispering comforting words when he could fit them in, and pushing off anyone who looked twice.

After a while, when Alfred simply sat and stared off into the distance, Arthur took to kissing his forehead gently and brushing hair from his eyes, smiling with support whenever Alfred's eyes ran over his face.

Alfred couldn't talk for the moment, but he'd been more grateful for the support than he'd ever been to anyone else. And even though he didn't say it, he hoped Arthur would know his appreciation.

* * *

It had been nearly half-a-day in underground time-or around 2 days in mortal time- since Matthew had passed away for the final time, and Arthur hadn't left his side for any of that.

The two had migrated to a bench and table on the far side of the room. Alfred had originally been sitting up, staring at his cup full of slightly tinted water, but when he complained of dizziness and an ache in his chest, Arthur refused to let him do anything but lay down to rest.

When Alfred wouldn't budge, the Brit had simply grabbed hold of his fiance's head and forced it down into his lap until the American had settled.

Alfred fell asleep from the exhaustion of an insetting depressed state a few minutes later, and had slept like a log for around 7 hours. When he awoke, he never moved, and let himself have his hair played with by an Arthur who stopped noticing what he was doing ages ago.

Matthew's remains had been cleaned up and put into a vase to give to Alfred. The American curled up to it, talking in whispers that Arthur chose to block out to give him privacy about the unsaid things and events he'd wanted to discuss.

One word the emerald eyed groom did catch, though... "engaged."

Arthur only wondered if he was talking about him... or Lili.

The pair glanced up at the sound of emerging footsteps. Alfred's eyes were still puffy and full of hurt, but he hid it well behind a blank stare. Arthur's chest ached at the state he had been watching the other be in, though his face was normal as ever. "What do you need?"

"Some girl wanted me to get you," Gilbert muttered, glancing towards the silent Alfred. "Want me to stay here? She's in the kitchen."

"A girl?" Arthur felt a frown creep onto his lips. "I suppose I'll go see who it is. Feel free to stay if you wish. Whatever Alfred wants." He gently plucked the head off his lap, which simply caused Alfred to sit himself back into a sitting position. After checking over that he was fine, the Brit pulled himself from the booth and headed towards the room.

Not even halfway there, a pig-tailed girl emerged from the side of his vision, plopping herself into his way. He stepped back, not expecting her to be there, and grimaced when he realized who had summoned him. "What is it this time?" He huffed.

"I'll tell you in the kitchen," Michelle smirked, with a hand inching to Arthur's. She seized it without warning, and dragged him behind as he yelped into the location of the pots and pans.

Arthur emerged into the room with a wave of heat smoke washing over his vision. He squinted to pear through, and came out on the other side next to the far corner of the room, away from the doorway that led to festivities in the actual bar.

Michelle flipped herself to face Arthur, and planted her hands on her hips. "I've got news for you."

"Oh... dandy," He muttered sarcastically, and folded his arms across his chest impatiently. "Would you get on with it? I need to get back to Alfred before he does something stupid."

Michelle chuckled mischievously, spinning once in a light-hearted, teasing happiness that grinded against his gears the wrong way. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." She took a paused breath, leaving Arthur on edge. "Alfred, right?"

"Bullocks. Don't act like you don't know."

"Right, yet, I understand," She said with an innocent wave of her hand. "You're protective over your little mortal, I get it." She held up a finger to Arthur's lips when he tried to protest, shaking her head mockingly, which proved to infuriate him, just as she wanted. "However, I'm going to have to send him back to the mortal world."

Arthur felt his heart and stomach sink at the same time. In fact, his entire body seemed to drop a few inches. His shoulders were on high alert, and he felt his heart begin to pound a little faster. "Send him back? Why the bloody hell would you do that? He hasn't done anything. And... we're engaged."

"There's a code-"

"Is it because of Matthew? He's upset now, but he'll heal with time. I'll make sure he does. I'll be there to watch him."

"You guys can't be-"

"Or is it because he's caused trouble with the locals? He's warmed up to everyone. I promise he won't pull another anxious attack like he did before."

"Just wait a second-"

"Maybe it's because of Gilbert? They're friends, though, so I don't see why-"

Michelle's hand shot forward in that instant, her fingers closing around Arthur's undead lips and snapping them shut. He mumbled incoherent words bitterly, slapping her hand off with a threatening glance. "I'd appreciate if you didn't manhandle me."

"I'd like it if you listened," Michelle retorted back. The Elder made sure he had given up on talking and focused his attention on her completely- and quietly- before she continued. "Now, as I was saying, there's a code. An undead code."

She looked to Arthur for a reaction, only getting a 'go on' look before she continued. "Your engagement is unlawful. It's invalid."

Arthur would have turned white as a sheet, had he the blood to do so. "Invalid? How could that be?"

"Because he's an air-breather," Michelle stressed, her voice rising slightly. "Don't you see? He's not dead. The dead cannot marry the living. The vows specifically were written as 'until death do us part.' You cannot marry when one of you has already passed on."

"Does this mean he has to leave?" Arthur's voice was filled with genuine concern in it, though, admittedly, a selfish worry. "And we won't be wed?"

"Well... there is a way he could stay..."

"And that would be?"

The world stopped for Arthur. His hearing became muffled. He knew he would have dreaded the answer, but he asked it anyways. And there it was. Plain as day. What he never wanted to ever hear pertaining to Alfred.

Michelle's emotions turned to a rueful happiness. She licked her lips before she spoke, quite enjoying this. "...You would both have to be dead."

"...So, does this mean we have to send him back for sure?" Arthur mumbled, averting his gaze.

He refused to look at Michelle as she took on a pitiful look, tsking with disappointment. "I would have expected more from you, Arthur." She replaced her hands back on her waist and leaned in with a silky voice. "Dead 7 years, and you can't even let one pesky human die for your own good."

Arthur turned a hard gaze back at her, his eyes stern. "Alfred isn't going to _die _ just so we can get married. I could never force that upon him." His voice was thick and serious, making it slightly garbled, but still understandable. Michelle tried to speak once more, but his angry eyes made her stop. She shrugged helplessly, wooing there was only one way out of it. Both of them did. It was an unusual case, but one that certainly had rules attached.

Once Michelle had signaled she understood where Arthur stood on the issue, though not quite enjoying the consequence, he had turned on his heels to leave, just when a movement in the corner of the room caught his eye. He blinked in surprise, spotting an eavesdropped who had been listening to a gossip of himself smile uneasily. He had probably wandered in in search of Arthur, and stayed when he heard his name. "Alfred.." Arthur mouthed. He turned his eyes down, clenching his jaw. "How much did you hear of that?"

Alfred's teeth shone as he spoke, though he coughed uncomfortably at the news. "I, uh... pretty much all of it?" He snickered half-heartedly, and realizing no one else was with him, he decided to keep talking. "So, that's it, then? If I'm not dead... I have to go back?"

Michelle's nod made Arthur scowl harder. He closed his eyes tightly, biting his lip in bitterness at the rule. He couldn't bypass it, and knowing this fact simply succeeded in pissing him off. "We can send you back tonight..." He said, too quietly for the other to actually hear. In fact, the blonde didn't know if he actually had meant it for Alfred to hear or not. Something in the back of his mind made him plead for the male not to leave.

"Then there's no way around it," Alfred laughed, which Arthur could only hear. The darkness unveiled under his closed eyelids gave a sickening mocking tone to the words that he knew he'd hear. Alfred was leaving. He was off to marry his dear Lili. At least... then he'd be happy.

"I guess I have to die."

Arthur's eyelids snapped open. He trained them on Alfred, his blood freezing. He couldn't be serious. Die? Just to stay? Crazy talk. He had his whole life. He wasn't about to throw it away. "Alfred, no." Arthur's voice had a growling quality to it. "You can't."

"It wouldn't be painful, would it?" Alfred asked with a nervous glance back at the corpses now watching him. "To die? I've never tried it before, so, sorry if I'm kinda clueless."

"A simple poison. Swift, easy, and would kill you in seconds. No mess or cleanup. You'd be dead and feeling better than ever." Michelle sang, pleased with this development. "We could do it at your wedding."

"You have your whole life ahead of you," Arthur knew it was stupid to try to reason with the buffoon. It never turned out nicely. However he had to try, no matter what. Alfred's life was quite literally on the line. "You can't just throw it away in a moment's thought."

"What do I have to go back to?" Alfred grinned bitterly. "Lili's engaged and marrying a Lord... Matthew's gone... my parents haven't even asked once about me, according to Gilbert. Everyone's forgotten about me." He began making his way closer to the standing Englishman, making Arthur tense up. When he reached him, he placed a curling finger underneath the man's chin, tilting his head up until it faced his own. They interlocked eyes, making Arthur catch a breath as if he needed it. "But here? Here I have my best friend... and my dog, and Francis, and Elizaveta." He leaned in closer, until his lips placed a gentle peck upon his nose. Arthur's eyes only widened further, his hands clutching at the sides of Alfred's arms in confusion and infatuation. "Here is where you are, Art. If I could be with anyone in any world right now... you'd be my first choice."

Alfred couldn't fool Arthur. The emerald eyed man clearly saw the doubt in his eyes, and the mask he had thrown on as a way to impress. Alfred was still upset. He was still suppressing tears he wanted to desperately shed for Matthew. If it was true, and Lili was marrying someone else, then that disappointment was most likely for that. He was still afraid. He was still just a kid. He didn't know what he was doing, and the fact he could make such a scary decision in an instant made Arthur worry for him now than ever.

Arthur could only commend Alfred for how strong he wanted to appear, despite the mental instability he felt. In the month they'd been together, they'd been through quite a lot, though it'd been all at once in comparison to the quiet life Alfred once lived.

Even if he wanted Alfred to live his life and have a happy ending, Arthur couldn't deny the other. Not when he so desperately was asking for something to cling to. He was asking for something stable to hold onto. Arthur wanted to give him that.

"Let's think over the wedding a bit more..."

"A wedding, hmm~?" Their conversation had been overheard, though that was expected, as the two had been quite loud. "Is this true, Arthur? Are you finally tying the knot?" A blonde girl with a bob-haircut bounded up, dragging along her co-cook behind her, who seemed a bit put off to be pulled into this. "Our legendary corpse bride is going to marry? This is exciting!"

"Che," Spoke the assistant. He puffed out his cheeks, tossing his brunette hair as he angrily turned his head away from the scene. "If that bastard will finally quit his whining and moaning, then congratu-fucking-lations."

"Lovi..." Bella whined, pawing at the other's arm. "It'll be fun! I know you're excited to see him get married as well. In fact, we can even bake the cake and make the refreshments for the party!" She giggled, and grabbed hands with her partner in crime. "Right? You can cook all your tomato dishes!"

Lovino brightened up at the words, quite obviously having had a few different things he had wanted to try. "Fine," He said swiftly, agreeing in an instant. "I'll cook for the stupid party."

"Are you two ready to get married?" Michelle smiled with the evil intent of hers sparkling off her lips.

"I-"

"A wedding!" Bella squealed happily. She rushed over to the stove, and her hands groped for a rope that hung above her head. After a few jumps and attempts to grab it, she finally got hold, and fell to the ground seconds later. With her descent came the loud ringing of a bell from overhead, making everyone in the room cover their ears. The echoing of the sound seemed to travel all across the land. "Let's move this party upstairs!" She cheered, eyes shining with excitement. "Spread the word! A dead wedding... in the mortal world!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Rating: T  
Warnings: Character death, language**

**Sorry for this updating again! I had to fix things. I totally screwed up near the end with Francis. Sorry for the mistake. u n u **

* * *

The wedding of the dead. That was the name of the event that was to take place later today, and the one that would be the story that would be passed down through generations of dead men and women and children alike that arrived underground. In fact, the story was even widely known and told throughout the lands of the living. It was a great milestone for both parties.

For the dead, it was the day they had all been given a final happiness, and enjoyed a wonderful last scene of watching two of their most-known companions join in a bond of matrimony. It was the day they witnessed a beautiful scene of two hearts becoming one.

For the living, it was a day of hell on Earth. "The day the dead rose," A grandfather would say to his bouncing grandson. He would lean over his old chair, adjusting his spectacles as he struggled to recall the words he wanted to say. "I was with your grandmother. I remember it clearly. My grandfather, Joseph had come back to say hello to me. Freaky? Of course. A day I can't forget because of how happy it made me? Yep."

But at the current time, for Alfred, it was a mix of nerves and great fear.

All around him, the dead had dressed up in fancy gowns and well-crafted tuxes. Many had fixed their falling-out hair into a fancy updo, or had applied the colour of fruits as a stain for make up. The children of the group all ran back and forth between the parade, making corpses stumble as they took out a leg or stepped on a foot. Their screams echoed in the hallways, accompanied by wild giggles and childish delight.

A large marching party had been strolling along the twists and turns of hallways that had long been blocked off, which had been promised to be leading to a stairway that led to the mortal lands. In the center of the hundreds of rotting bodies were one pair that had been kept separate from each other as they were prepped for the ceremony to come.

The second the event had been announced, bodies poured into the open ground area excitedly, toppling over one another as to be the first to return back to the world. Alfred and Arthur had been whisked off by those who had already been married or friends, and coached in how the marriage would be run through.

Alfred's suit had been fixed up by a raging Chinese man named Yao, who had been tailoring him since the second he'd been dragged along in the mix. The black haired tailor was still fretting over his suit, in fact, making sure every button had exactly 4 holes, and every pocket had a straight seem.

Gilbert was at his side on the left, babbling on about how the actual story would take place. Somehow it had started with where the clueless American would start waiting, and ended up taking the turn for what kind of dance moves Gilbert was going to bust out at the reception afterward. Still, his information had been good and had helped him quite a bit.

While being forced to listen to his chatter, Alfred had also been mercilessly drilled for his vows by an Austrian who had declared himself 'Alfred's diction coach.' Every time the American said a single thing wrong, he was hit over the head or back, and told to restart. Hell, he knew his vows better than he knew his own name at this point.

Every chance Alfred was able to break free from his binds and mumble out words of commitment half-heartedly as to pass off as him "focusing" to Roderich, he'd spare a glance at his bride-to-be. Up ahead, Arthur's hand had been clasped by the young Samantha, as he was dragged down the hall by the bubbly girl, hunched over from the strain of having to keep his hold. A maggot and spider were on his shoulder, mouths moving, but the sound around Alfred too loud to hear what they were saying. Arthur was scowling and looking away, which most likely meant their words were embarrassing and involving love.

Alfred only hoped that wedding Arthur would make him happy.

A light up ahead that flashed slowed the party members around Alfred, but the train kept moving. It blinded Alfred for a few seconds, as he wasn't expecting a true burst of energy like that after his time stuck in the darkness of the dead world, but it soon died down and he was able to see fine.

A door that had to be at least 12 feet big and 6 feet wide had been wrenched open up ahead. Pure light was streaming through its opening, brightening up the dreary cavern quickly. A staircase led up into the halo of... what seemed like sunlight, and stretched farther than Alfred could tell.

Up ahead, at the base of the door, stood Michelle, who had begun chanting and spilling liquids across the frame of the opening and the foot of the stairs. Her words were ancient and haunting, but full of life and hope at the same time. A powder was flicked towards the concoction, making a flame lick the air as it erupted into a light-blue fire. Alfred stared with wide eyes as the corpses up ahead began walking up the steps and disappearing, the fire never once spreading or hurting them.

"Man, that is really cool," Gilbert whispered under his breath to Alfred, who nodded in amazement. "C'mon, let's go. Don't get left behind on your day." Alfred felt a hand slap across his back, forcing him to stagger forward a few steps and continue walking with the traffic.

He watched as Arthur's group ahead of him walked lazily through the fire as if it was perfectly normal. Then again, they wouldn't feel pain if it hit them, anyways.

It was Alfred's turn to venture through the door. He took in a slow breath to prepare himself, and walked straight through the middle of the doorway, expecting the flames to bite and burn his skin with every step. However, he felt free from this kind of death and pain as soon as he'd made it through the doorway and continued walking towards the stairs. If the doorway fire didn't hurt him, the one at the base of the stairs obviously wouldn't.

….Or so he thought.

The second his foot touched the bottom step, a fire erupted around him. Wind screamed in his ear, and his vision was overtaken by a neon blue fog. Hot air coursed against his skin, though it just made him feel like he was stuck in a hot summer day, rather than burning up. All in all, his fiery capsule only held him for a few seconds, but it felt as if he had been stuck in it for minutes. All at once, the wind, the fire, and the burning sensation all died down, and Alfred found himself on the same step he was on before, with an unphased Roderich and shocked Gilbert by his sides, and Yao slightly ahead.

"Hurry up, now!" Yao called back with a thick, Chinese accent. "Don't fall behind."

Alfred nodded, and started up the steps in a trotting pace. Up ahead of them was the opening of the door, though now the light was easily able to be seen accompanied by grass and trees of a forest. A giddy feeling spread through the American, even if he wouldn't be here for long.

Alfred had returned back to his home town for the last time.

* * *

Hell had broken loose among the hundred of zombies that had risen into the living lands before him.

People ran past him the second he stepped out, screaming and pulling their kids close. It was hard to see among the busy streets of people. At first, Alfred was stunned, looking around wildly as to see what the issue was. It was then he remembered that his group of the walking dead didn't exactly fit in among this group.

Alfred felt someone clash against his side, making him stagger a few steps. Glancing back towards the direction it came, a crying, lost child began sobbing on the ground, huddling into a ball as protection from the creatures. He frowned in pity at her, stepping sideways to avoid the men and women and children still running for their lives with shouts of terror and prayers.

He crouched by her side, touching the top of her head to gain her attention. The little girl squeaked in shock, staring up at him in fright. She started to scrambled backwards, unable to stand up properly, trying to run. However, when she saw a mob of slow-moving, limb-missing bodies slumping towards her, she decided it'd be better to go the other way, and took off.

Alfred watched her go, feeling bad for the family that would have to find her when this died down. For now, he'd just need to find Arthur and get everyone to calm down. Looking around, that would be much easier said than done.

Alfred's guides had disappeared in the mass. He doubted he'd have had much time to talk to them in this chaos, anyways. Still, it put a damper on his hope to get back on track. He couldn't help but wonder if they'd run off to partake in the chasing of the humans, or if they'd left to go restore order. After all, they'd been part of the responsible group... despite having Gilbert.

"Oi," A calm voice called out from far away, which was new among the mass of screaming. Alfred glanced behind him, seeing a blonde haired Norwegian and his silver-haired brother making their way towards him. The American straightened up, offering up a friendly grin. Neither said anything, though the younger brother, Erikur, twisted his head to glance around them. The thick, red and black scar that was carved into the flesh on his neck flashed at Alfred, making him wince. The sight of their matching, crudely drawn slices were always quite unnerving, despite the amount of times Alfred had seen them.

It was hard to imagine dying like these two did. At the hands of a group of murderers. Two young boys living with noble parents. They had only moved to this town around 9 years ago, the same month the siblings died. Alfred remembered hearing about it from his hysterical mother. She'd been convinced they were coming after the rich families, and would target her next. That'd been the weeks they'd hired a body guard for the family.

The throats of Erikur and Lukas had been cut in the middle of the night, when their parents had gone away for a meeting with political authorities, and the carriage hauling back the adults had been intercepted, and everyone had been killed crudely or kidnapped.

According to Arthur, their parents had never come down to the underworld, meaning they either had no unfinished business, or they had simply been kidnapped and held. The hope of that was what kept the brothers in their state.

"We passed Michelle," Lukas extended his arm, pointing in the direction of the church. "She says to head over there and meet the wedding party. We're to gather up the guests."

"Hey, thanks!" Alfred beamed. His eyes trained off in the distance, spotting the black cross that stretched high into the air over the hill. "I'll see you two there, then." He pushed past them both, waving a final goodbye neither of them looked back to see, and began jogging off in the direction of the party.

And finally his festivities had begun, the second he'd entered the outskirts of the city.

* * *

For one certain teenager, today was possibly the scariest day of his life.

He'd been at home, chatting away with his two best friends he'd been roommates with forever when the apocalypse started. At first, he hadn't believed it. The dead? Rising up? That sounded like mad talk. But sure enough, the town crier, who had been employed to scream into the ears of those still in their homes to warn them of the danger, had taken off with a cry as a horde had wandered back into the town.

The teen had stood up in an instant, looking with big, terrified eyes towards his older companions. The brunette one's wide grin fell, and their blonde friend insisted he had to go collect Toris, their neighbor, and make sure he was alright before him.

It was some of the liveliest the trio had felt within the past week. Just 4 days ago, a very close friend of them all had passed away in an accident. They'd all been pretty gloomy, and could only resort to fake smiles to comfort one another.

There'd been too much death in the past in their household.

"Come with me," The brunette had seized the teen's hand and dragged him outside seconds later. The blonde one would have to find them later. For now, all they could do was run and find a safe place to hide.

Corpses roamed the streets, though most would only look at them and keep walking. It was bemusing, but appreciated to be ignored all the same. At least it maximized their safety. They'd joined up with a crowd of people minutes later, conforming to the masses, but never once relenting the holds they had on one another. If they couldn't make it out alive, at least then they'd go together.

There was a fork in the road up ahead, and half the group went one way, and the rest went the other. On instinct, the teen ha pulled his friend to the right, in the direction there were less of the dead lining the roads. They never once stopped running.

The teen glanced behind him to check that the taller man slightly behind him on guard was alright. When he received a cheerful, gleaming grin, he felt content and safe enough to keep going forward. Just as he was turning his head back to the front, however, the other male pulled a wide-eyed, shocked expression, shouting a "WATCH OUT" before it was too late.

The teen couldn't stop on time. He crashed into a heavy object that knocked him back, flat onto the ground. The brunette was able to slow down enough to only slightly hit the thing in front of him, though he managed to keep his footing and stood next to the fallen one, dazed from the collision.

The dizzy boy held his head, eyes adjusting to give away his position. Around him, everything looked bigger, as he began to realize he had indeed fallen on the ground. He glanced up wildly, scared to see what was in front of him.

And to fulfill his worst nightmare, it was, indeed, one of the walking dead.

He squeaked and began to draw back, crab walking backwards until his back hit up against a wall. The older man was at his side in an instant. He checked over the boy to see he was alright, and stared harshly back to the approaching mass of rotting flesh. "Stay back!" He barked, standing straight in front of the haunted roommate. "Don't touch us!"

Feliciano noticed one thing, however, in the way the man's face was formed. The way it looked familiar. The fact it looked so much like someone had had once known. Feeling quite hypnotized by the alike-ness, he pushed himself to his feet, peering over the shoulder of the violent Spaniard he was with.

Feliks had disappeared, however, the Italian doubted he'd be in much trouble. He didn't think anyone was actually in trouble.

Feliciano placed a gentle hand on Antonio's shoulder, signaling for him to back off. The brunette only raised a questioning eyebrow, wondering the change of heart, and stuck an arm out to keep the hurt one at bay. The red-headed boy shook his head, dunking down underneath the barrier, making Antonio reach out for him. Still, he walked forward towards the now still man that stared him down.

He stopped a few inches in front of the dead man, staring up inquisitively into his eyes. The corpse didn't move or make any attempt to grab at him, but simply stared back. With a shaking voice rattled with the beginnings of tears, though out of joy rather than fright, Feliciano uttered the first word that turned the head of all around him. The word that was passed on throughout the towns folk as they began to make revelations of their own.

_ "Grandpa Roma?" _


End file.
